06-19-06

Characters involved: Taye, Seven, & Jezz.

Halyard Village: Some Building

... Fwish. That is a sigh fizzling out between clenched teeth, and that is what Taye does when he is staring, from across the wide alley, at his childhood home. It is not much to look at. It is the back of one of the buildings on Main Street. Two stories high and looking like it hasn't seen a paint job since roughly before Taye's /mother/ was likely born, it's really not much to look at. Taye is staring up at the second story with wary eyes, worrying at his lower lip.

The look that Taye gives the house doesn't quite make Seven eager to step inside it, eyeing the building as if there would be some harpy-ghoul waiting for them on the other side of the door. He doesn't know how right his intuition just happens to be either. The buck steps closer to the other, paw going out to grasp onto his friend's wrist. It just seems that he would need that unspoken support. Kind of an 'I'm here' gesture. However his eyes don't leave that old home.

The gesture is warranted. Taye looks around in startled surprise, almost as if he'd forgotten that he wasn't alone in this. He blinks for a long moment before shifting his paw so that his fingers twist into Seven's own. Squeeze. He turns his eyes away, then, returning them to the house. And the... approach.

Seven does know if they want to enter the house holding paws, but he grasps Taye's when he intertwines his fingers with his. He just knows he'll let when he is made to; until then the connection remaining unbroken. He approaches kind of behind the other buck, just being lead along almost and still not glancing away from.. 'The House.' "Almos' seems like we're goin' t'our deaths.." Mumble.

A nervous laugh is forced out of the buck and his grip on Seven's paw reflexively tightens, then loosens. "... Yeah." He drops his eyes from one of the windows on the second floor, then leans forward to reach out and take the doorknob in his paw. With one final squeeze to Seven's paw, he releases it and simultaneously turns the knob, pushing the door inward. Stereotypically, it screeches open to reveal a dusty, dimly lit hallway which leads either to a door on the first floor or up a set of stairs. Taye looks up. "... Up there," he whispers.

Ermf! Sev's paw suddenly feels cool and empty so he tucks it subconsciously into his pocket to grasp at the inner fabric when he is released. For now he stays behind Taye, peering into the interior with both eyes widening, definitely showing the green coloration. The hall seems to extend like a scary movie, the stairs twisting up into nothing but darkness. "Geez.." He seems reluctant himself, but then goes to nudge Taye inside after he gets the nerve up without another word. Dread. Oh yes.

Taye crosses the threshold, half-hesitating as he does so, feeling an odd sense of doubling. He's himself, but he imagines himself suddenly little and, instead of dreading it, scrambling up those steps, anxious to see his mum. He's eyes follow his imaginary self upwards and it it just then that a thump can be heard from above. He flinches, visibly, but continues forward, reaching the edge of the steps. Up to the first one. They're going to squeak, he knows it, they're going to... but they don't. Not yet. His ears flatten back and he glances over his shoulder, smiling nervously as he pauses. Stalling? Perhaps. He whispers, "I remembah..." Yes, strangely enough, being back here, he does. "When I was little, mum would make me go outside a lot of times 'n' play with the neighbah kids 'til the sun started to go down. But most times those last coupla hours, I'd just sit up on the eleventh step, 'cause it was jus' before the door so I could listen to mum, 'n' it was righ' where I could see out the window, so I could watch the sun go down."

Let's just say that Seven isn't having any of those happy memories or thoughts that Taye is having, no matter how sad they could possibly be in the end. The buck's back fur is bristled down his spine, ears tensely perked as he stares about at the dusty walls. To tell the truth he's imagining an old hag in a house coat to rush out and jump onto his back at any moment. Actually there is an inexplicable creaking noise from somewhere off in the distance and he gives a startled jump only to find himself closer to Taye's back when he begins his story. Blink blink. Suddenly he feels foolish. Heh. No response could be good enough. He grins at the other buck instead just... still being supportive.

Taye's lips twitch in a smile full of nervous energy. It wavers in such a way that suggests that it /wants/ to be happy about this, and almost maybe /is/ happy about this, and excited, but it's downright terrified, too. He subtly leans in toward Seven, almost as if being closer to him will bring him courage. No extra courage seems forthcoming, however, and he starts back up the steps. And this time, one /does/ creak. And like cause and effect ever is, there's a resultant sound of shifting above, and a low, hacking cough. The image of an old hag in a house coat is sounding more and more likely.

Not like Seven will freak out or anything when he sees this old hag, which he hears first. Okay. Maybe he will. His grin falters and suddenly he feels quite psychic, gazing up the stairs with a scowling expression of worry. 'Please don't let her be evil and scary.. please don't let her be crazy and claw me..' It's said that older beasts have a fear of teenagers. Maybe it goes both ways. XD He starts up the steps after Taye, paw resting on the wall as he follows, cringing when the creaky stair protests under his footpaws.

... Oh. That hacking cough is all it takes for a gallon of horrified adrenaline to dump itself into Taye's blood stream. The flight or fight response kicks in and he hesitates. It's likely, if Seven wasn't there to back him up, that he'd have stepped back just then. As it is, his eyes widen, his pupils dilating to the size of nickels. He looks back at Seven in the semi-darkness, looking briefly terrified. He gives a minute shake of his head. "I /can't/," he mouths.

He can't! What the heck?! Seven looks back at Taye with the same expression, which is rarely seen on his features. "Oh my God, wot's wrong with 'er? Does she 'ave a 'unchback?!" Almost a demanding question as he goes to grasp Taye's sleeve tightly, before he realizes his panicking and lets go of the other buck. "I.. uh.. I mean.." He licks his lips. ".. of course ye can. It's yer mum."

Oh my God! What if she has a hunchback? Taye hadn't even considered this possibility! He rocks back when Sev releases him, bumping into the wall. It shouldn't make a noise, but somehow it does and it is a thump. Thump! Oh no. More shifting from above. "Laaaarry? Thah you?" Taye's eyes shoot wide again, the pupils dilating and contracting almost noticeably. That /voice/. He stares, terrifed, at Seven, and then jerks around to look up the stairs. He starts going again. These are the longest. stairs. ever.

Seven has made note of that. After the scare which seems to have passed now, he makes an effort to count every step as he starts up them, eyes roving along the worn wood and hoping that they don't creak anymore. One paw instinctively goes out to rest at the small of Taye's back to keep him going now that they're this 'far', fingers curling to grasp the fabric of his tunic. All thoughts of hunchbacks are pushed clear from his mind, ears twisted back so that they rest on his neck together.

Keep going, just keep going. He reaches around and catches hold of Sev's paw, taking comfort from his closeness. He keeps going up, half leading and half being pushed. When they reach the eleventh step, he pauses just long enough to look back and out through the window, a shiver running up his spine. He turns back, his paw reaching out to rest against the door. And to press. One might notice that it lacks a doorknob, only a hole present where the knob should be. The door starts to swing open.

The suspense is killing Seven. Each pause given by his companion makes the buck more and more anxious to see what is awaiting them behind that door. The paw is grasped in a welcoming way, not letting go even as he glances out the window himself just waiting for the portal to swing all the way open. His is not the same reaction as Taye's just seeming to appear lost within this new place. It doesn't even feel like Halyard to him anymore. Finally all attention focuses forward on the room as it is beginning to be revealed to him.

"Larry!" Cough. Haaaack. "Ah /said/, s'thah you?" The owner of that voice doesn't /sound/ particularly nice. In fact, they sound downright irritated. Which may be fair enough, for two silent hares approaching on her steps. The owner of the voice struggles up into a sitting position, propping herself up on her elbows and staring with bleary eyes toward the door until it swings open enough to reveal the creature - creatures - behind it. And then her eyes are looking right into Taye's, and his into hers. Both sets of eyes are a pale, gray-blue. That is where the similarities end, however. The doe before them looks impossibly old to be the mother of a young hare like Taye, her fur a faded gray and her body wasted with whatever sickness has her. Only her face and those eyes seem to sustain any sort of substance. 'Those eyes' narrow into strangely suspicious slits. "... Ewan? Whatchoo doin' here?"

Coughing. Erf. Those hacking noises make Seven flinch back enough to step down onto the next stair with one footpaw, ears tilted down once more as his eyes avert to the wall. All the courage that left floods back into the buck's system and he steps up to finally look into the room, lifting his head to see more clearly over Taye's shoulder while his paw subconsciously grasps tighter onto the other hare's in between their bodies. What awaits his gaze in the bed isn't as bad as he first imagined, but it isn't exactly better either. He fights the urge to sympathetically bury his face into the back of Taye's shoulder and instead lets his eyes settle fully on 'those eyes'. He can keep looking into them, and just imagine everything is alright. For the moment no words are spoken, just allowing the others to speak. However he is curious of this reference to 'Ewan'..

Flick go his ears, and back they flatten. He hasn't heard anyone speak that name in... seasons. Taye takes a nervous step forward, one that is tempered by the speed he needs to take to keep Sev close to his back. "... Uh. No. Um. Ewan, he, um. He died." Taye's voice is impossibly small as he edges forward, his eyes flitting at breakneck speed from various, recognized things in the room and back to the wasted doe. He swallows past a sudden, nervous lump in his throat. "I'm, um." He is forced to pause as Jezz is racked by a series of choking coughs, his ears twitching as if hooked up to an electric current. Finally, he concludes lamely, "... Taye."

Jezz has flattened back a bit following this most recent coughing fit, only one elbow holding her up while her other paw, holding a soiled-looking handkerchief, is pressed to her lips. What look as if they could either be very dark flecks of phlegm or possibly even blood dot the kerchief, but this and her paw are drawn away when Taye speaks. Those blue-gray eyes widen and she croaks out, "Son?"

Seven is invisible. He kind of wants to keep it that way, tucked behind Taye's back as if he could possibly be a youngster being lead along by his big brother or father to meet... sick grandma. Because of his practice in medicine, the buck is actually used to seeing 'grotesque' things, but this he has to hide his face from for the time being, eyes only flitting to her eyes every once in a while but staying behind Taye. Not like he could interject anything worthy or helpful. His only reason for hiding is fear as well. This is /his/ buck's mother and all of those protective feelings give way to shelter the emotions that should be being felt by his companion into his own body. Worry, dismay, sadness.. curiosity. So he stays close.. looking like a shadow.

Tears pinprick at Taye's eyes. The way she said it, just 'Son?' Is just about all he could have asked for. He takes a step forward, almost forgetting that he's semi-attached to Seven until he's tugged back a little like a bungee cord. In part because his own paw's still attached to the other's. This gets a surprised look from Jezz, who /finally/ takes a moment to look past Taye to the creature behind him. Rather... close, aren't they? "Who's this, ah wondah?" And there go those eyes slitting again.

Oh geez. Seven's paw clenches tightly on Taye's paw, then he releases from this connection so that he can step around to the side of the other buck, still staying close like he's shy. Or maybe he doesn't even realize that he is. Either way he finds himself glad that he's actually wearing full uniform today.. even though his tunic is still open to reveal the dark shirt beneath it. "Sorry." He gives her a polite smile in greeting. "M'name's Seven O'Neil." He is trying to control his obvious accent to name him as being from a different region as well as not talking enough to show off his fangs.

"He's my -" What? Taye's eyes shift significantly to the side, to study the other buck. Jezz's eyes, sharp even at this point, take this in. "Friend," he finishes lamely. The buck starts forward, his eyes shifting from her face to her body to the kerchief and then back again. This is all too much. She looks so... not like he remembers in his dreams. He worries at his lower lip, stopping a bit short of the bed and glancing back, almost needfully, toward Sev. During this exchange, though Taye doesn't see it, Jezz's lips twitch in the faintest of sneers. It is almost not even there, and it certainly is /gone/ fast enough, with another coughing fit which leaves the elder doe doubling over her on her side and coughing bleedingly into her kerchief again.

Seven's eyes dart to Taye, with a slight shrug before he goes quiet again, his arms held behind him with his fingers hooked together like he has to keep them like that so he might have the arms not go out to try and see if he can help. Which is his first instinct at the moment.. assist as much as possible in that protective way. The statement that he is the other's friend isn't a lie so he doesn't take it harshly, nor will he reveal anything intentionally if it is not wanted of him. Finally he goes towards Taye again to be beside the bed as he looks Jezz over more thoroughly in a very much 'healer' manner. A scowl is given. This doe needs a lot more care to him, yet he says nothing of it.

Yes she does. That's not snot dripping out her nose. Taye's gag reflex is almost induced. Instead, he comes around the end of the bed and leans over her, yanking out a fresh kerchief from a pocket. "He reaches out to dab her face with a "here, mum" but the doe, her eyes slanting up at him, snatches it away with more quickness than Taye would have given her credit for. He blinks, startled, and leans back as he watches her dab her nose in silence, reddening his previously fresh cloth. She peers balefully up at him, then gives a snort. "Ya ain't got call t'look at me like thah. M'just dying," she offers with a dry titter.

Mostly what could be said for Seven's actions at this moment are.. he tenses. A lot. Mostly because of her snatching so quickly of the handkerchief which just causes him to want to grasp her wrist and tell her to be a little more 'nice' to her son. However, he doesn't do this. He keeps looking in between Taye and Jezz as if he is not sure what to say about the whole situation then finally just leans back with his arms folded across his chest.

All Taye can think to do is stand there for the moment while Jezz titters, coughs, and titters again. Taye's ears flatten back and he sends a worried look to Seven, biting at his lower lip. "... Have you. Have you seen a healah? I could. I could bring my Da', maybe. He could... could help... maybe..." But he's trailing off, because she's shaking her head and looking between Seven and Taye with finely speculative eyes. "... Like father like son, eh? Didn' have him very long but still ya soured 'im, eh Ewan?" She snorts out through her nose, small flecks of blood splattering out and onto her soiled shirt. Taye's ears flatten back. What... what?

Seven squints at Jezz, not sure of what that implication is about, so he doesn't know whether to be mad or not, but the doe is looking at him like he did something wrong. Well, he decides to ignore her and goes to lean down a little more to look more carefully into the sick hare's eyes. "Ye need real medicine.. Who's been takin' care of ya?" Not like Seven to be quite this helpful to someone he has just met and he hasn't been /told/ to assist either. Worry has taken over and he does his very best not to grasp her paw by clenching his fist onto the fabric of his pants, ears tilted back.

Jezz's ears perk half-heartedly as Seven hovers close, though her eyes remain focused on Taye, who has shrunk back somewhat, looking strangely... diminished under her stare. Finally the spell is broken, though, and she shifts her slightly bleary eyes to consider Seven. She clears her throat, a clotted sound. "... Larry. Larry brings the food 'n' water, 'n' teas to ease the pain." She swipes at him with an unaimed paw, shaking her head. "M'dead, m'dead, leave me be!" There's a petulant quality to her voice, and an underlying edge that suggests she's used to folks bending over backward for her. "Taye'll stay with me while ah die, woncha, dear one?" A name she hasn't given him in all the days of his life, until now. "Ya'll take care of yer ole mum like she used ta take care of you." Her lips draw back in a grotesque smile, and all Taye can do is... nod and shake his head as he moves forward to the edge of the bed, sinking down at her head. "I... I'll..." His eyes shift to Seven, as if expecting some sort of advice. "Of... course I will?"

Seven has no idea as to the background story of this, and is not sure how the buck was treated when his mother took care of him, but something about this whole thing doesn't feel right to him. Especially when the paw is swiped at him, to which he backs up and can just observe the whole situation with ears cocked to the side and twitching with uncertainty. That look he gets from Taye just makes it even worse for the sniper and he swallows back a lump in his throat before scowling. He doesn't hide it at all and even turns it upon Jezz in her bed with a grunt of displeasure. "So wot is it then? Ye wan' care or wan' t'be lef' alone?" He is moving towards the door, not handling this well cause he's not sure what to think about everything. Almost like if he stayed, he's sure she'd make his life hell and try to enslave him. Urghh.

Without warning, Jezz changes. That sneer, so briefly seen before, returns full force. "Ah undahstand thah Ewan's to blame f'this, Taye, but the least yeh could if ya're goin' ta bring yer 'fancy' with yeh ta m'death bed is teach him not ta mouth off t'yer ole mum." The haggard old thing tries to prop herself up a bit more in her bed, eyes glittering spitefully across the room at Seven.

Taye's paws fall away from the edge of the bed in surprise as the sneer twists Jezz's already wretched face. In fact, his eyes going to Seven, he drops back from her and stands. His surprise only grows at the words which issue forth from that previously - relatively - mild mouth. He gives a shocked shake of his head, his eyes shifting from her to settle, finally, on Sev. "... Sev, I - I'm sorry." Oh hell. "I..." His head gives another shake and he looks back to Jezz, seeming unable to do anything more than look at her, who stares back at him expectantly. When he doesn't seem likely to do something, she snorts. "... Ah shoulda known. Useless!" Cough-cough-hack. Catch her breath. "... Just like yer father was! Good fer fun 'n' a run, thah's... thah's all he was!"

Ah-ha! /There's/ the old hag he knew was going to show up in that moment that he started backing away. Seven seems startled at first at the sudden switch in personality, ears flickering back before they prick forward in an indignant manner. "Wot'd ye call m-?!" He halts in his stalk towards the older hare, gritting his teeth as he keeps himself from getting too enraged. Remember, Sev. She's Taye's mother.. and she's on her death bed. A sigh escapes past his clenched teeth, sounding much like a deep growl, before he lets his fists relax. "Listen, /ma'am/ 'm only tryin' t'elp. An' I /know/ 'ow to respect beasts who deserve it." Calm down.. breathe.. This accomplished, he begins again, now closer to the bed. "An' jus' cause yer dyin' doesn' give ye the righ' t'be nasty t'yer son. 'E nevah did anythin' t'ya..." Paw spasm. It slowly reaches out towards Jezz. "Now 'm sorreh if I.. 'mouthed off' but could I get ye anythin'? Watah perhaps?" This is killing him. Main reason why he /didn't/ become a full-out healer.

Jezz is shocked into momentary silence, her upper lip twitching in what wants to be a snarl but never quite makes it there. After several seconds pass in this manner, her eyes shift to take in Taye out of the corner of her eye. He's just /standing/ there... What /is/ he thinking about? Taye is staring at the floor, his shoulders rising and lowering with slightly heavy breaths, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth in a quiet little whoosh. Jezz returns her attention to Seven, looking briefly... frightened, of all things. Not at Seven, particularly, but at the situation and the way it seems to have spiralled out of her control. With a crafty slitting of her eyes, she fumbles her paw to her chest, her breathing suddenly coming erratic. Wheeeeeze. "... Taye." Cooooough, "Taye, send 'im away fer y'old... fer y'old..." Wheeeeze, hack. "Fer y'old mum. Be a dear. He's gone 'n' upset yer mum! Listen ta her. We don't need 'im!" If she can just get rid of /him/. He's the catch. The trouble. Taye doesn't respond, not really. There's that characteristic flick-flick-twitch, that nervous habit, because if it's not one it's the other, but that's all.

Seven blinks rapidly at the old doe as if he thinks she's insane. He just tried his best to offer assistance and be nice to her and she's talking about sending him away and like she's suddenly dying?! There is a brief moment where the buck just kind of doesn't know how to react because his expression changes oddly. From a half snarl escaping his lips and fangs flashing into sight, to suddenly looking confused and like he knows he shouldn't be angry at this hare before him. Finally the sniper - looking much like a small child - sends his green-eyed gaze away from Jezz. "Ta-" But Taye appears to be no help at all. The younger buck doesn't protest or anything, which is very odd to Sev and suddenly he looks scared. Yes. It's his turn, but this expression changes to unexpected and almost unbelieving sadness as his focus returns to the dying beast. "Fine.." Softly spoken. "... fine I'll go." Growl. "Since ye wan' me gone." But even this last, unhappy comment is halfhearted and the buck turns to hurry out the door, the to hurry out the door, the fur on the back of his neck bristled.

"... Wait." He speaks! Taye looks up from his quiet study of the floor, his eyes strange and his expression unreadable. Seven is given a long, considering look before he seems to almost dismiss the other buck, turning his attention to Jezz. "... I remembah. I always thought it was a dream I had, but..." He trails off, shaking his head as his eyes narrow with slitted concentration. "There was a... a nice ottah, oldah, he lived next door. His buildin' opened up on a... a food store in the fron'?" Is that right? Maybe a fishing shop. Who knows? "He used t' give me a candied chestnut whenevah he saw me, he was real nice. I think he started t' take a real shine t' me. But you... one night I came back with m' candied chestnut, 'n' you told me- you told me he /poisoned/ it." He shakes his head, slowly. "I ran out cryin' 'n' buried that nut. Nevah took anothah one. Bet it really hurt 'im, fer me not to take it like that." He falls silent for a few seconds, staring at the once again dumbfounded Jezz.

After a few seconds, he looks to Sev. "... M'not gonna fall fer it again. Spent m'whole childhood fallin' for it. I... I loved ya somethin' awful an' I guess I always will, but ya don't want a son. Ya just... ya just want someone to control. I mean... did ya evah even love me?" He looks up, his ears flattening back as he realizes it's possible she might actually answer that question. "... Nevah mind. Nevah mind." He moves forward with jerky motions, approaching Jezz's bed once more. He bends over her, a tear splashing onto her wasted chest as he does so, and presses a fleeting kiss to her forehead before she can think to react, and by the time she does think to react, her eyes wide and staring, he has pulled back. His face is twisted, his teeth clamping down on his lower lip. "... C'mon," he finishes thickly, "Let's go, Sev." He turns, not looking at Seven and not listening to Jezz as she starts to protest, to cough, to wheeze, to cry for forgiveness. It falls on flattened, if not deaf, ears.

Wasn't that what Seven was doing. However this time, he has waited in the doorway, listening to the whole story as Taye actually speaks up for himself now. Both of the buck's ears twist back, then flicker into an almost perked position as he seems unsure what to say or do. That appears to be the main thing that never changes about Sev tonight, just confused as hell. Whatever it is, some of the looks Taye has given him aren't quite helping in this fact and by the time it is all over - and Jezz has been dealt with - he looks like he isn't having the best of times of it. That means that Taye's passing of him and command isn't questioned. One last look is sent, almost sympathetically to the dying doe in her bed, before he follows the other buck out, not looking up again. The sniper stares at the floor the whole time, pinned back ears trembling ever-so-slightly in the same motions as his whiskers.

Taye doesn't stop until they're out on the stoop - no more than a step - outside of the building, with the door shut on the final words Taye hears from his mother. We needn't go into them, but suffice to say that 'I love you' is not among them. Taye's ears ring with them and, stumbling away from the stoop, he goes forward and to his knees in the dust, his arms going up to cover his bowed head, his torso hunching forward. He makes not a sound but his shoulders shake and tear droplets patter in the sandy dirt at his feet.

Evil... Seven's cursing thoughts are interrupted as he suddenly hears Taye drop to his knees in the dust. For only a split second does he remains standing, glancing at the other before he moves to kneel down beside him and pull his arms securely around the other's shoulders and chest. A nose is pressed into his friend's neck fur, ears pinning as he grunts his displeasure. No real words seem to be able to be formed for a while until his voice is heard whispering close to Taye's ear. ".. please... don' cry ovah 'er..." Shakily gasped, as he seems to be definitely upset over it all now. Mostly because of Taye's tears do his own show, but they wouldn't be seen.. more like.. felt.

They are felt, and somehow the other's tears make it all the more real and surreal, at the same time. Real or surreal, though, it is definitely worse. He gasps a gasp which would be a sob if he was more vocal with his stronger emotions. "She's... aw, hell, Sev, she's..." Dying! Never see her again! Never! Thoughts nag at him like little pinpricks at the backs of his eyes and his whole body falls to trembling. He turns into Sev's embrace with a certain desperation, clinging to Sev with his arms around his waist and his muzzle pressing firmly into thick, comforting neck fur.

The only thing that matters to Seven now is his distraught companion clinging to him. His first reaction is to comfort as much as possible, arms pulling securely around Taye's body so that he can rock him back and forth slightly, as he pets his ears and gives a shuddering sigh. "I know, love. I know..." No other words can be spoken. For now the two just remain huddled upon the ground, no thoughts to who could see them there, but then again.. it may be easier to say that neither of them care anymore. And that's all there is.