05.22.09 - Drinking to Oblivion

Location: Halyard Tavern

Characters Involved: Darcy, Brenden, Orel

It's the middle of the day, and not many beasts are around the tavern at this hour. Darcy is curled in a booth in the back of the tavern, in a short dress worn over trousers, her knees drawn up. A half-full bottle rests on the table near her hand and she's rested back, maybe dozing, maybe just resting. The doe looks more disheveled than usual, and, if possible, thinner as well.

A buck comes walking into the tavern, the sunlight casts his shadow on the floor until he steps in and the door closes. He doesn't move for a moment, letting his eyes briefly adjust while he looks for one beast in particular. He gets a smile that fades away as he gets closer and sees the state that Darcy is in. When he gets beside her booth, he fidgets with a rose held in his paws, "'Ey Dahcy....wot's wrong? Mind if I join yah?" He gives her a look of concern as he glances at the bottle. He's been drinking himself away each night that he thinks about her with another buck.

Darcy's eyes crack open and she peers up at Brenden, looking groggy and only half-awake. "I don't think I'd be very good company," she mutters, turning her head to the side and lifting the bottle for a swallow of the liquor.

Brenden decides to go ahead and take a seat thinking that she could use some company, "I wouldn' go 'at fah. Yah've allus been great comp'ny..." then he adds with a slight grin, trying to cheer her up, "'Cept when yah put yah drinks in mah face when I'm in mah good uniform." He holds the rose out for her, "Come on...talk tah me..."

The humor draws a slight distracted smirk to the doe's face. She shakes her head a little. "Just.. just. Things. Harper-things. What's this for..?" Her head tilts, expression a little quizzical, almost naive, as she takes the flower from him.

Brenden frowns some, hating Harper a bit for getting her like this, but it quickly passes and he offers a smile, "No reason, jus' wanted tah give yah sommat pretty as a sort of 'welcome back'. I've missed yah while yah were at the abbey."

"Oh.." Darcy looks at the rose for a moment, then sets it down on the table and takes up her drink again. Her head ducks and sh gazes at the curved glass, to the liquid inside it. "Okay."

To be honest, that was about as much of a reaction as Brenden expected. "'Ave yah 'ad anythin tah eat fah lunch?" he asks, as another concerned look comes across his face. "I could fix up sommat tasty if yah'd like..."

Darcy's muzzle scrunches and she shakes her head. "'m not hungry." By the look of her she hasn't eaten much of anything recently.

Brenden frowns, "When was th' last time yah ate? Looks like it's been a while. I know 'bout drownin yah sorrows tah 'elp yah cope...but not eatin's jus' askin tah 'urt yahself."

Darcy shakes her head again, not saying anything at first. Then she lifts a hand, and straightens out all but her thumb. Four days.

Brenden frowns and shakes his head, "'At's no good Dahcy. Yah tryin tah kill yahself?" He looks more concerned now as he turns his head towards the kitchen, wondering if Keita would beat him for intruding. Then he decides that he doesn't care and he gets to his feet and looks back at her, "Yah need tah at least eat sommat small." He starts towards the kitchen to see what he could find. He would have taken the bottle away, but....baby steps.

Darcy smirks, a tired, bitter expression. "No, but if it happens..." She shrugs. Her eyes lid as she watches him go, and tucks herself into the corner of that booth, hugging the bottle to her.

Brenden grits his teeth when he hears her say that as he disappears into the kitchen, truly hating Harper now. He rummages about for a long moment, having never been in there before. Eventually he comes back out with a small bowl of soup and a piece of bread. He sets it in front of her before he takes his seat, "Dahcy...yah drive me tah drinkin." He motions towards the bottle, "Mind if I 'ave a sip?"

"I drive you to a lot of things," Darcy mutters, and gives up her bottle, pushing it across to him. She looks at the soup and bread with disinterest, and shuts her eyes, rubbing at the bridge of her muzzle.

Brenden smirks and nods, taking the bottle and pulling it back in a long gulp. He pulls the bottle away from his lips, "What else do yah think yah drive me to?" He'd give her a moment or two to get the heart to eat. Four days is a long time.

"... tears, maybe. Frustration. Madness?" Darcy shrugs. She reaches for the soup, dabbing a finger against the surface and half-heartedly licking it off.

Brenden has to admit it, so he nods and takes another drink and watches her, "Yah definitely on tha right track with all of those." He idly sets the bottle on his leg, thinking about how right she was.

Another smirk tugs across the doe's mouth, and she shrugs. "Sorry," Darcy mumbles. She pushes the bowl of soup away from her after that first taste and shifts, curling her knees in closer to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. Her ears lay back.

Brenden shakes his head and gives her a smile, "Don't be. I still like yah jus' tha same." Then he motions towards the bread, "Will yah at least eat that please...fah me?"

Darcy gives Brenden a mild look. "Will you stop trying to mother me. I'm just.. not hungry."

Brenden shakes his head, "Yah 'aven't eaten in four days. You know 'ow bad 'at is fah yah. And /you/ don't 'ave much body weight tah lose." He lets out a slight sigh, "Yah know I'm right."

"Oh. Thanks Bren. That would be really helpful," Darcy says with a dull sarcastic tinge, "if I actually gave a damn." She drops her legs and stands up from the booth seat, swaying a little, grasping the edge of the table to keep herself steady.

Brenden sets the bottle aside and slides out of the seat to catch her if she fell, "Dahcy, I don't know wot 'appened while yah were back at tha abbey, but I 'ave an idea. Trust me, I do know 'ow yah feel. I'm feelin tha same way right now."

Darcy doesn't fall. She lowers her head while giving Brenden a dark sideways look, ears pinned back. "You have an idea..?"

"Why else would yah be drinkin yahself tah oblivion 'n not carin 'bout yahself enough tah eat? Why else would yah make comments 'bout not carin if yah died?" the buck asks.

"'m just /drunk/, okay," Darcy mutters, straightening and rubbing at her face with one hand. "You shouldn't take.. /drunk/ girls.. so seriously."

Brenden watches her for a moment, "Will yah at least sit down 'n talk tah me? I won' try tah 'mothah' yah again."

Darcy grimaces a little. "... I can talk.. just fine. Standing up."

Brenden nods, quickly thinking that things were going so well until he expressed care for her. "'Ow was tha flight with tha osprey?" It sure did seem that she didn't care to be around him, to him right now. But until she said so, he'd still try to keep an eye on her.

Darcy's eyes shut. "It was... high-up." Heh. Her narrow shoulders move in a shrug. "He didn't drop me or anything..."

Brenden nods and lets out a slight chuckle, "I can see 'at...'at's good. Would yah do it again?"

"Maybe. Not going back /there/ anytime soon," Darcy mutters.

Brenden figures he might as well ask now, "So what 'appened theah?" He reaches across the table for the three quarters-empty bottle and takes a drink, his ears only slightly drooped.

Darcy shrugs again. She looks off, eyes focusing on a shadow that runs along the wall. "Nothing /happened/..."

Brenden takes another drink then offers the bottle to her, "Sommat's got yah in a strange way."

Darcy reaches for the bottle when it's offered back. She tilts back her head to drain it and then sinks to the floor, sitting half under the table, leaning into a leg of it. "'m just drunk."

Brenden leans over and reaches to take the empty bottle so he could sit it on top of the table before he joins her on the floor, thinking it might be easier than trying to convince her that the booth would be more comfortable. At least he got her being more...accepting of his company again. "Yah glad tah be back?" he asks, to change the subject.

Darcy shrugs. "Sure. Maybe." Her eyes flick over Brenden's face and then turn away, head down, and she leans into him.

Brenden moves to put his arm around her so he could at least hold her, "Well, I'm glad yah back."

Darcy doesn't really acknowledge being held, but she allows it. Her eyes shut. ".. 'course you are." Mutter.

Brenden turns his head to look at her, "Yah know 'at I like yah Dahcy...I want tah make yah 'appy again. 'Appy like yah were when I met yah."

Darcy tilts one ear upward and gives him a glance. "... you met me during a plague. I can't have been /that/ happy."

Brenden makes a face and sort of nods, "True...but when there were distractions from it, yah seemed 'appy. Like durin' tha play, or when we drank in tha cellah."

Darcy's lips press into a small smirk. "It /was/ a good play..."

Brenden smiles and nods, "It was a good play. I 'ad a good time 'at night."

Darcy edges over closer to Brenden so she's not leaned as far, shifting, sitting so she's in the buck's lap half-curled with her head ducked down. "It was nice," she agrees in a mumble.

Orel wanders into the bar room, it is time for his shift and the rat is idly playing with the cards in his paws. He pauses as he spots Darcy and Brenden and nods to them, "Sir... Miss Darce..."

Brenden blinks, that was the last thing he expected from her. He moves his arms around her, his eyes shifting to a random point on the floor while he wishes that she were easier to read. He really wasn't sure what else to say, so he remained quiet for the moment. She didn't seem to want to talk right now anyways. The buck lets out a slight sigh before the rat walks in, content with being able to hold her.

Darcy is half under one of the booth tables, with Brenden, and lifts her head groggily as Orel enters. She blinks a few times, gaze unfocused, then chirps at her coworker, "Hi Orel."

Orel slips behind the bar and peers at Darcy, "Darce... wotcha up to? What you been drinking to get in tha state?"

"Whole lot of scotch," the doe mutters in reply, with a smirk. It can be noted that she's scruffier and skinnier than her usual self. Her head rolls back to rest against Brenden's shoulder.

Brenden glances at the rat but keeps quiet. He has a concerned look on his face.

Orel glances at Brenden and blinks, frowning, "Keita's gonna kill me! She's gun blame this on me! Wotcha been doin! Yer look a mess."

Darcy shakes her head. "Keita knows all about it... she won't blame you," she reassures the rat.

Brenden moves one of his arms to fish around on the tabletop for the rose that he brought her. When he finds it he offers it to her again, right now just wanting to cheer her up from whatever it was that was bothering her that she wouldn't talk about.

Darcy cocks one eyebrow up. This time when she takes the rose she holds onto it, bringing the flower to her face. Her eyes shut and her muzzle brushes the petals as she inhales the scent.

Orel scratches his ears and nods, "Ok... so..." he leans on the bar, "What be wrong darlin? An wot be with the roses off mister military 'ere? Missing yer 'arper? Hop back to the abbey and see im then!"

Darcy lowers the rose and squints a little at Orel, ears flicking. "I'm not going back," she says with a slight shake of her head.

Brenden shoots a sharp look at the rat, but doesn't say anything to him. He already didn't like the rat too much. Strange beast. Though, hearing her say that she wasn't going to go back did make him feel that there was some glimmer of hope for him.

Orel frowns, shuffling the cards slowly, "Yer... be walkin oot on Harper fer good?" he starts to deal the cards, staring at the images before him, noddig his head, "Ahhhh darkness... darkness girlio... ye shud coom oop tae me room n we'll be doin a proper readin."

Darcy's jaw tightens and she shakes her head to Orel's assumption. "... no. No." The doe is distracted by the cards that are laid out, leaning away from Brenden, though with where they are she can't see. "Bring them here... I wanna see."

Brenden tenses up slightly when the rat suggests that she go with him to his room, then droops almost imperceptibly when she says no. He mutters, "It's only tricks." Then he speaks up to the rat, "Yah can't see things in those cards. That /mission/ yah said I'd go on nevah 'appened." Sounds like he's trying to convince himself more than anyone else though.

Orel smiles at Brenden, peering at him through the stone around his neck, "Ahhh yes... denial stalks yer... laddie buck... denial stalks ye but ye cannah deny it for long." he scoops up the cards and goes to join Darcy and Brenden, giving her a good ogle as he sits down, shuffling them, "But it be saying here there be darkness... heart break... seperation ending."

Darcy's ears cock upright with interest. She doesn't pay attention to Brenden, though she's not pulling away from him, peeking at the cards with a curious twitch of her muzzle. "Separation ending..?"

Brenden watches the rat closely, not wanting to actually believe he could read the cards.

Orel shuffles the card and starts to lay a spread, ignoring the ignorant hare, he clearly is in denial, he peers at them and nods, "Yes... if the seperation is not ending... one of the links will be cut!"

Darcy actually flinches a little. She gives Orel a sad little smile, shaking her head. "... 'm not paying you for that or anything."

Brenden looks at the cards, becoming interested in one of the pictures on one of them. He moves the arm around her back so he could rub her back.

Orel spreads the cards a bit, mmmming and takes one of the dangly charms from his wrists and drops it, he blinks, lowers his head and sniffs, "AHHHH lack a season girlio! Darce ye shud ave said! he as already split! The lanky legged historian be gone! Darkness n Sunsets..... but thar be spark and flame still lingerin!"

Darcy leans back comfortably into the backrub, eyes shut. She shakes her head, murmuring something inaudible, then just saying, "Mix me a drink, will you, Orel?"

Brenden continues to rub her back as he watches the rat for another moment. Then he looks down at the rose in her paws, losing himself in thought for a second before he mutters, "Could yah make me one too please?"

Orel eyes Brenden, "Of course... be right back." he ambles over to the bar, leaving the cards for now but /not/ the trinket. He starts to mix up two drinks, one in a fancy looking girly cocktail glass the other in a badger sized tankard. He squekas and hums and saunters back across, he hands Darce the giant tankard and gives Brenden the fancy girly cocktail, "That'll be 2 silver coins Mister Patroller."

Darcy reaches out for the tankard as it's delivered. Her eyes shut and she lifts it to her muzzle, head angled back, taking slow, large swallows, one after the other, levelling it down a ways before she stops, and takes a breath. Froth is swept off her upper lip with a flick of her tongue. "... thanks, hon."

Brenden looks at his glass with a frown for a moment before he raises a brow at the rat, "Um...could I get this in a bigger glass please? I think I have some catching up to do." He scratches his nails over her back.

Orel folds his paws on the table, "Sorry, we only be servin Fruity Sunsets in tha type o glass matey. Aye'll make ye anudder when yer done. Tis rum, bicardi, gin n a tot o rum with some fresh fruit juices." He looks back at darce and smiles, "Yer welcome hon... aye been seein tha darkness in yer loife! Aye'll look after me matey n you be a matey!"

Darcy twitches one ear toward Brenden but doesn't pay much attention to him. Her eyes shut halfway as she sups at the drink in smaller sips, watching Orel, smiling in a tired and dazed manner at him. "Come sit with us, then."

Brenden continues to frown at the rat, thinking that he was being difficult on purpose now. He downs the small cocktail in one drink and reaches out to hand it to the rat, "Just an ale please." When the rat takes the glass he reaches into a hip pouch to pull out four silver to pay for this drink and the next one. He could have swore that it was more expensive tonight then other nights.

Orel takes the silvers, ambles to the bar and comes back with an ale and change, seems only the cocktail is more expensive, the ale is still 2 coppers. He sets it down with a HUGE grin, yup no way he's being awakward and then he sits himself down behind the chair. "So Darce... wotcha goin tae do? besides let this filthy bounder of a hare give yer roses! Girl's just ad er eart broken n yer already trying to wheedle yer way intae her arms! Aye guts me eyes on ya! Keita she won't be a standin fer it!" Probably because "She" wants to be wheedling her way into Darcy's arms but he doesn't have to mention that bit.

Darcy tilts her head a little. She blinks a few times and hiccups, shoulders lifting and falling in a half-hearted shrug. "Doesn't really... matter to me, who gives me roses."

Seems Brenden's frown turned into a scowl at the rat. He grits his teeth, refraining from spouting off with what he really wanted to. Right now...just better to stay quiet. He takes the ale and pulls it back in a /long/ drink.

Orel tsks and reaches out to pat Darcy's shoulder, "Arrr it nae be so bad.... yer gut yer friends ere in Halyard n yer gots me... aye'll be sure tae be lookin after ye till yer back on yer feet lass."

Darcy's mouth quirks in a little smile that tugs at one corner of her mouth, and she shakes her head - a slow, grateful gesture. "You're.. very sweet, Orel," the doe mutters distractedly. Her eyes shut and her ears twitch out in different angles away from her head.

While Bren draws his nails over her back he whispers into the doe's ear. After that he takes a drink of the ale.

Orel eyes Brenden snorts, "See... he be whisperin already!" he shakes his head, "Well Darce aye be yer friend... am be glad yer thinkin aye be sweet."

Darcy's ear flinches subtly at the whisper. It's sort of a delayed reaction when she turns her head, gazing at Brenden for a moment. "Yeah," she murmurs back, and bumps her muzzle to his jawline to place a light kiss there. Then she just leans her head to his shoulder, staring off.

Brenden leans his head into the light kiss before he looks back at the rat after having head quite enough, "Yah know...she's quite capable 'erself. Where do yah get off comin up tryin tah tell 'er 'at I be some scoundrel and bein suspicious? She already knows who I am 'an 'ow I feel 'bout 'er."

Orel snorts and leans forwards, "Yeah... n she be drunk! Aye n yer clearly takin advantage o tha wee lass! Heart broken, drunk... clearly not in her roight mind, n here ye be kissin er! Well sah... I think I be well entitled tae throw ye oot on Keita's be'alf! Coom on Darce... ye dinnae wanna be spoilin yer chances o gettin yer arper back! Tha cards they be saying thar be ope!"

Darcy blinks. First once, slowly, then more of a flutter of her lashes, gaze focusing as well as it's able to on Orel's face. "... there. There's hope..?"

Brenden smirks at the rat, "Yah some sort 'o seer right? Just do yah thing 'an see 'at I'm not tryin tah take advantage of 'er." He lays his ears back on his head to keep it from being obvious that they would be drooping. He hated Harper. How could that beast make her like this in good conscience?

Orel raises his stone and stares at Darcy, looking over her head, "Thar be tha best o ope... but noot if ye be fallin fer is arch-rival! Aye cannae be seein is face though... tis fogged tae me." He turns to Brenden then and peers at him, swaying his head from side to side and snorts, "Ye want er... ye be taking advantage but yer do care."

Darcy looks between the two of them, worrying her lower lip with her teeth. Fretfully she plucks the leaves off the stem of the rose one at a time.

Brenden continues to rub her back, regarding the rat, "I do love 'er...yes. With everything I am Orel. And my only intention is tah see 'at she's alright and tah be theah fah 'er while she's in a bad way." Then he lowers his voice slightly, "So don't try tah tell me what I'm doin when yah know nothin 'bout 'ow I feel 'bout 'er."

Orel lowers his stone, "Aye know wot ye be feelin... n right now... it be disgustin me... yer sittin thar harpin on aboot lovin ere when her buck done gone and dumped tha lass? Ye should be bein supportive, a friend n elpin her tae pull erself together n ship er back tae tha abbey tae sort things oot wid Harper, nae tryin tae move on in n take is place! Shame on ye... aye thought tha long patrol bred more honour!"

Darcy has gotten to the petals of the rose, tugging them off with little flinching movements of her fingers. She's getting jittery, looking around, her breath coming short and dark eyes wide. ".. will you.. will you /stop/ talking 'b-bout me like 'm not /here/!"

Brenden nods and looks at her, "Sorreh...I jus felt 'at I needed tah defend mahself." Then he looks at the rat while he continues to Darcy, "Seems 'at every time I come 'ere I'm bein attacked in some way or anothah." He rubs her back some more, trying to calm her breathing.

Orel stands up and pads around to kneel by Darce, taking her paw and pats it, "Sorry Darce, this guy... just thinks rather large o imself. Wot say aye get yer some o tha stew n you ged up to bed? Yer shudn't be to tha drinkin no more."

Darcy's shoulders hunch. The flower is torn apart, petals littering her lap, and she tears these into smaller pieces, giving paranoid looks around her. Her hand is tugged from Orel's. "... not hungry." There's a lag between this and the next thing she says. "... sleep, though."

Brenden looks at her and nods, "Want me tah take yah tah yah room?" Sleep is the one thing that she did need right now.

Orel eyes Brenden and snorts, "Aye ain't lettin ya take er anywhere alone buster." he smiles at Darcy, "We'll elp ya oop tae yer room n aye'll make sure no one be disturbin ye."

Darcy reaches up to grip the edge of the table above her, trying to pull herself up. It's not a very successful endeavor, and she loses her grip halfway up, fwumping back down onto Brenden. "... I can /do/ it.. I can do it m'self," the doe mutters, shaking her head.

Brenden groans when she lands, not a pleasant place for even the small doe to land. He recovers quickly and tries to help her up so he could get to his feet too, "I know yah can. I jus' wanna make sure yah make it safe," that last part being said while looking at the rat. Yeah. The two of them would have to have a talk at some point.

Orel glares at Brenden and squeaks, blowing out his whiskers, "Right.... aye know ye ken Darce... we'll jist make sure ye get thar ok."

Darcy staggers a little as she's helped up - more like just pulled up, weight supported by Brenden. Petals flutter off her and she leans into him, eyes squeezed shut, her breathing shaky and shallow with upset. "'s just /stairs/. Just. Just... leave me 'lone," she mumbles feebly, shaking her head.

Brenden lets go of her, but gets ready to catch her if she falls. The destroyed, falling petals almost catch his attention but he manages to keep it on her, "Alright...we'll leave yah be." He was worried about her making it up the stairs, so he will follow behind her.

Orel pads along behind Darcy as well, watching the drunk unsteady doe stagger towards the stairs. "Aye... just some stairs n then bed fer you Darce."

Darcy sways a little on her feet, eyes flicking here and there nervously. The drunk doe shakes her head and shuffles toward the steps, muttering something that comes out as a wordless low mumble. She gets to the steps and fumbles to grip the railing and make her way up, one clumsy step at a time.

Brenden follows her closely, only wanting to make sure that she made it to her room by now. Most of his attention is on Darcy right now, with the last small bit being taken by the irritating rat.

Orel is a rat yes, is not very irritating, Darce is his co-worker and chum and he's not leaving her alone with the long patrol rat. He watches Darcy up the stairs, ready to move and catch her if she falls, ignoring everyone else for now.

With the help of the railing, Darcy makes her way most of the way up the stairs. Her foot slips on a step near the top and she falls, gripping the railing to keep from falling down to the main room of the tavern again - though she lands rather hard on her scut. ".. nnf."

Brenden jumps forward to catch her, but because the rat was crowding the stairs he couldn't move like he normally does. Instead he tries to help her back up, "Are yah alright?" His face and voice clearly show concern.

Orel growls at Brenden and manages to restrain himself from kicking him, "Of course not, look at tha state you let her ged intae!" he stomps up the stairs, "elp her up ere."

Darcy hangs onto the railing with one hand, sitting on a step and blinking dazedly at a petal that's still clinging to the edge of her skirt. "... 'm fine. /Fine/." Determinedly she hauls herself back up, tottering a little.

Brenden glares at the rat, "She was 'alf in a bottle when I showed up rat." He steps in front of Orel, his arms out to the side so he could catch her easier.

Darcy shakes her head and keeps going, reaching the landing, and moving down along it - past Brenden and Orel, leaning into the wall as she moves away from them.