07-06-05

Characters involved: Keita & Zeraph.

Halyard Tavern: Main Room

Standing outside the closed kitchen doorway with her arms crossed over her chest, Keita is regarding the rest of the tavern with a careful eye. A couple vermin sit at the bar, but they're for the most part being quiet while they see to their drinks of choice.

The floorboard that was ripped up last night has already been replaced and the buck is seated behind the bar again, on the stool. Zeraph seems tired and maybe a little dazed, ears layered back against his skull and studying the bartop without a word. Every now and then he'll see to the finding of a certain drink.

"Whatcha thinkin' on?" Keita's watching Zeraph out of the corner of her eye as she scans the rest of the inhabitants.

Zeraph looks up at Keita. "Not much...pans.." His dark blue eyes are half closed, gazing almost through the doe. Then he half laughs and glances off back towards the vermin and bar.

Keita's attention changes focus, apparently finding Zeraph's topic of pans far more interesting than the crowd. "Pans, is it?" A ferret calls for a whiskey, and Keita is quick to step forward and fill said order.

Zeraph nods lightly, hearing her question even if he is listening to the vermin across the bar, who is venting out his frustrations to the fighter. "Pans...not much else to think about around here..." The vermin gives him an odd look and the buck shakes his head. "Oh..sorry..Continue."

Keita covers up the short laughter that escapes at the vermin's odd look by way of covering her mouth and coughing. Yeees. "I interrupted - how impropah o' me." Heh. She leans back into the wall, arms crossing over her chest once more.

Zeraph lets the vermin finish his tirade and says something sympathetically. That seems to cover it, as the weasel grins and stumbles out of the bar. The buck shakes his head and looks back up at Keita.

"They're really not s'different than any othah bar-goers, y'know. Vermin, that is. They've all got the same gripes 'n' complaints. And they all think theirs is the only story ya've evah heard." The doe smirks absently as she watches the weasel's exit.

Zeraph nods. "Seems like it, though usually they tend to have something about..death or..their leader..put in their stories.." His footpaw is twitching idly, rested on the horizontal bar of the stool.

Keita's eyes widen, and she literally bursts out laughing. "... /This/... from a Long Patrol hare? Hmmm..." The doe tap-tap-tapss a claw-tip to her chin, feigning thoughtfulness. "Now /who/ do I hear talkin' about death... 'n' their deah leadahs... all the bloody time?" The pauses are, of course, for her to breathe, as well as to laugh. A lot.

Zeraph stares at Keita curiously as she goes on about this, one ear tip twitching, then he starts laughing. "Er..well you've never heard /me/ talk about that, have ya?" Grins lightly.

Keita grins across at Zeraph with a nod of agreement. "I'll give ya that. You get t' be one o' the sane ones."

Zeraph grins. "Eh..not if you ask the major...I kind of was measuring my foot to my head when I was first recruited.." Starts laughing a lot.

"Measurin' yer foot... t' yer head." Keita's voice is deadpan, and now she is in fact looking at him as if he's crazy. "I'd ask ya t' demonstrate, but I'm not sure I want t' know."

Zeraph finds this hilarious and nods. "Yeah..he was going on about how I didn't look like a runner, so I was wondering if it was something about the size of my feet...Wasn't really thinking at the moment." He laughs more.

Keita simply stares at him, the "he is sane" going further and further out the window. "And what majah was this, then?" Then, suddenly, she looks supremely amused and holds out a finger. "Ah - you played the "leadah" card, by the way. Now ya've just got t' talk about yer death 'n' my theory's proved."

Zeraph was about to state the major, when he suddenly gets this last bit and his ears sink back, twitching again. "Ah..but I meant..they do it in a complaining way.." Then he realizes he has been shot down. The buck sags in his stool. "Fine..I just won't talk.." Mutters something under his breath.

Awwww. Keita quickly shakes her head, laughing. "No, wait - I was just teasin'." She grins. "What majah was it, really?"

Zeraph hmms as he looks up at Keita. "Oh..Jarril I think..It was a little while back.." He leans on the bar, seeming not bothered by what she said anymore.

Not being as familiar with Jarril, Keita just nods, and leaves it drop, in favor of another subject. "So, how long've you been with the good ole Patrol, anyway?"

Zeraph seems thoughtful, running his paw down the length of one of his ears. "I'm not quite sure..." His eyes seem unfocused for a couple of moments, footpaw twitching rapidly again.

"Yer not sure." Keita looks nonplused. "Um. How not sure is 'not quite sure'?"

Zeraph shrugs and grins. "Well the time has flown by..Maybe almost a year now?" He releases the ear and it springs back up into place.

"Hm. Pretty new, then. This yer first big mission?" Wouldn't that suck. Heh. Keita tucks her paws into her pockets, looking content to chat.

Zeraph half laughs, though he doesn't really smile, just kind of looks thoughtful, staring off to the side. "Yeah. Actually it is.."

"Wishin' ya'd caught a cold the mornin' of, I bet." The doe takes a long look around, and finds herself feeling less and less fond of the old tavern with each second. Heh.

Zeraph smirks. "It's not so bad..." He looks tired though, as he gets down off of the stool to look through the cabinet again. "Though I'm /definitely/ getting out of here.." He grins up at Keita, seeming happy to have the tavern vermin-free at least. "So what do you suggest we dig with?"

"Well, since ya seem so fond o' the pots 'n' pans, I'd suggest those." Keita watches Zeraph search about, looking as if she's at least enjoying the diversion.

Zeraph nods a little and holds up one. "Ever dug a hole with a pan then?"

Keita holds up a mug. "Evah dug one with a mug?" Grin.

Zeraph stands. "Oo..We should have a contest.." Tinks the pan lightly against the mug she is holding.

Keita laughs, and tinks her mug back against his pan. "I've a feelin' you'd win."

Zeraph laughs lightly at her, then goes to head into the back room. "Maybe...So should we get some floorboards up?"

Following behind Zeraph, Keita gives a thoughtful nod. "Aye, think I found a good place t' do the diggin', s'well."

Zeraph sets his pan on his shoulder, nodding. "Really? Splendid." He looks about as if it would be marked.

Well, it is. A bit. She nods her head over at a large and rather heavy-looking pile of sacks in the corner. "There. Well... undahneath there, anyway."

Zeraph moves towards the sacks. "Are those for the dirt?" His ears perked high on his head and still carrying around the pan.

"No, those're for covah. Between diggin', replace the boards 'n' covah it all up with the sacks. Eh?" Keita gives Zeraph an uncertain look and a shrug. "Figured it couldn't hurt?"

Zeraph nods a little. "Alright. What's in them right now?" One eyebrow raising as he kneels down in front of one, setting his pan down.

"Flour 'n' othah things. Things fer cookin'." She waves a paw absently, and crosses over to said pile. She glances back. "I've got some empties in the closet, if ya were thinkin' of somewhere t' store the dirt?"

Zeraph nods and looks up. "Yeah..That would help. We can't just have the dirt laying about.." He stands. "We should start soon though. Daclon said I'll be chained back up once I am fully healed.."

"S'long as yer chained behind the bar, I imagine that won't be too much o' a problem..." Keita gives a self-conscious tug on her own collar at the mention of them.

"Yes..as long as he doesn't put me back where I was.." He states softly, still studying the sacks of cooking 'things'. Maybe he's thinking about something.

Keita rubs at her neck which is indeed sore from the general ick that is metal rubbing on fur and skin. "Well, I was goin' the optimistic route, but if ya want t' dive right down int' the "what ifs", by all means..." Keita sighs, and shakes her head. "What's that head o' yours thinkin' up, anyway?"

Zeraph grins. "Nonsense, I'm overly optimistic right about now." He kicks the sack closest to him. "Oh..just wondering how deep down we should dig this, and we'll have to figure out the measurements to the largest beast in this tavern, so as to know how /wide/ to make the hole so that they may fit with ease. Also how far should we tunnel it along under the ground until we unearth ourselves? I've already figured we'll trench along.." Turns around and points. "that way..Because it is opposite of the main part of the village." He nods.

Keita rubs at her forehead, where a sudden headache emanates. Too much to think about. "We're not goin' t' be able t' dig fer very far without worries about the tunnel collapsin' around us 'n' givin' us away." Hm. "We might do bettah t' just dig t' the othah side o' the wall, 'n' rely on hope t' help us outta the village safely. We'd have a decent chance at night, what with us villagahs knowin' the area bettah than the vermin."

Zeraph nods as he takes in everything that she just said, rubbing a paw down his ear again in that thoughtful way, eyes gazing along the path the tunnel will take. "Hmm..Yeah..And we'll have the tunnel not too far down from the floor to save digging time..Maybe well just dig more of a trench, without a top layer of dirt....So we won't have to worry about it collapsing...Though it'll have to go down deeper near the end to allow us to get out."

"I think that'd be best... Take a lot less time, fer that mattah. The trench oughtn't take much more'n a day 'r two, if we're careful 'n' we don't dig t' often, 'n' the first night we're free o' guards, we c'n break ground on the outside, 'n' dig our way out..." She pauses, and gives Zeraph a long look. "... How d'we free all the captives?"

Zeraph is still studying the path they are going to take out as she is talking, then he smiles towards her in that cunning way and raises the stirrer out of his pocket. "Just pick all the chains off? It's how I got Miyrr out..Though it'd have to be at the last moment of course." He fiddles with the thing.

"I don't know if we c'n risk that - at the last minute, I mean. It'd take a rathah long time t' pick the locks on all of 'em, and we'd nevah know if the vermin were t' show up..." The doe frowns, thinking hard. "Could we pick the locks, 'n' have everyone leave 'em so that they /look/ chained up until the last minute?" Another frown. "But then... if someone gets the wrong end o' a vermin's fist, they might retaliate 'n' give up the ruse.."

Zeraph sighs and looks off to the side, scowling. "Yeah..that's a problem.." He taps his footpaw against the floor, chewing on his bottom lip. "I don't know about that...We could keep them all linked up I guess and only unhook those at the end...Until we got outside..." Then his ears lower. "Then again..most of them aren't linked together like that."

"Well... let's see which ones we c'n trust, 'n' those we'll release ahead o' time. We c'n work t'gethah when the time comes 'n' get everyone else free as quickly as possible. Eh?" Keita glances around briefly, steps over to a counter, and hops up onto its surface. Too much standing. Yeees.

Zeraph nods and sits down on one of the large sacks. "Very good..sounds like a plan to me. Do you have another of these..thing-a-ma-bobs?" He holds up the drink stirrer, his mind at the moment not wanting to let him remember what it is. "It seems like the only way they /will/ allow us to free someone is if they are injured.." He states, lowering the 'lock-pick'.

Keita winces in preparation for what she's about to say. "That's... anothah thing." Sigh. "We're goin' t' have t' wait 'til you 'n' the youngah gel recovah. We can't be carryin' anyone out."

Zeraph sits up straight, ears twitching indignantly. "Well, ma'am, you don't have to go worrying about /me/ none. I'd run all the way back to Sala in this condition, no problem." Whisker twitch.

Keita's brow furrows in a rather determined manner. "You goin' t' be any help t' us the way you are if'n we have t' fight our way out?" She pauses, but not long enough to give him a chance to respond. "I didn't think so. We're waitin' 'til the both o' you heal. That means you takin' it easy."

Zeraph scowls and stands. "But that means I'll be chained back up again, and what good will /I/ be! As a Long Patroler I do what's necessary, even if I /am/ injured.." His pride may have been wounded. The buck goes to walk back off towards the main room.

Keita hops down from the counter-top and rolls yer eyes. "Bucks..." Mutter-mutter. She starts forward to follow after him, and gives an exasperated sigh. "/Mostly/ healed, then. What the 'ell, why couldn't I get stuck with a non-moody Patrol 'are..." Apparently she's talking to herself, because she throws both arms up in what can only be described as disgust. "Oh, wait, that's righ', there aren't any. Bah!"

Zeraph looks over his shoulder at Keita with a scowl, then sits back down, sighing and looking off towards the rest of the tavern, though he seems to be swaying a little. "Whatever...You need to just trust in my ability as a soldier, alright?" Leans forward on the bar, head rested in his paws and eyes tightly closed.

Keita is quite ready to return the scowl, and she does, but it quickly wavers into a disappointed frown as she notices the swaying and general head resting, etc. Rather difficult to scowl at a buck when he's in a weakened state. Bah again. "Bloody 'ell..." She scowls in the general direction of the counter, and over she stalks. A glass of water is prepared and shoved towards the buck. "Drink."

Zeraph looks towards the water in her hand, blinking at it, then sitting up. "I've formed myself a headache it seems." A light smile is given as he takes the drink from her and begins to sip at it. In all truth, even when he does eat it's not enough. A hare's general meals are well known to be massive and the change has hit him hard, it seems. Plus the blood loss factors in. The buck doesn't look mad anymore. His moods are sudden and usually short.

Keita looks forgiving enough, and even a bit concerned, if truth be told. "Ya really do need t' take it easy... fer yer own sake, not just ours." More lightly exasperated frowning ensues.

Zeraph smiles up at Keita, lowering the cup from his mouth. "Alright...We'll wait then...But we do need to /start/ soon..." His ears lower backward. "And yeah...Miyrr needs time." He rubs his forehead.

Keita glances towards the sleeping Miyrr at the mention of her. "Aye..." Agreeing with both statements, apparently. "We'll start t'morrah. Good?"

Zeraph nods, looking away from where he, too, glances at the injured doe. "Good." He continues to drink the water, one elbow leaned on the bartop. The buck settles back into silence, at least for a moment.

"... Good," Keita reiterates, and sighs with a mingling of relief and nerves now that things have been decided. She glances around vaguely, and then pours herself a mug of something that definitely isn't water. She quickly downs it, hoping that it will at least help with the nerves. Heh.

Zeraph doesn't seem to be looking at anything in particular, not even the bartop, which is actually what his gaze is pointed down at, because of his forehead resting on his paw. The buck remains still, eyes half closed, only his ears moving about, listening.

Keita looks around at the mostly sleeping inhabitants, and then sinks down to the floor until she's seated, her back up against a cabinet. She tilts her head back 'til it rests against the cabinet as well, and she closes her eyes. Not much talking from her corner.

Ditto. Zeraph seems half dazed, half asleep about now, ears still tilted back against his skull. He yawns though, as his gaze shifts towards the bar doe, then the buck leans his arms and head on the counter, just resting and thinking.

Must be a lot of furious thinking going on in all this not-talking. Keita's lips suddenly twitch upwards in a grin, and one ear twitches. "What's the first thing you're goin' t' do when we get outta here?"

Zeraph smirks at the question. "Eat." He states with a half laugh, looking content at the thought of it.

Keita's shoulders shake with her snickers. "Mm-hmm..."

Zeraph looks towards Keita. He is grinning again. "So what about you?"

"Infiltrate the rec room, 'n' use m' wily doe-like ways t' snatch Neville's bar out from undah him?" Keita grins, thoughtfully. But then... she shrugs. "Or, y'know. Mayhaps I'll just sit at the bar 'n' bemoan the loss of m'own. One or the othah."

Zeraph shakes his head at her. "Maybe I'll join ya after I'm done eating." He drinks the last of his water and sets the cup down on one of the shelves under the bar. "I miss Nev.."

Keita's head thunks back against the cabinet door again. "... Aw bloody 'ell, I'm going t' end up livin' in the mountain again, aren't I?" Another thunk.

Zeraph looks confused and his brows furrow as he stares at Keita. "Uh...What's wrong with that?.." He just wishes she wouldn't thunk her head like that..

"The mountain 'n' I aren't so fond o' each othah. We tried gettin' along while I was growin' up, but the whole "mountain" thing nevah stuck." As if that explains everything. She grins, and opens her eyes long enough to glance across to Zeraph. "And what're you missin' Nev for? Ya got a propah tavern right here 'n' all."

Zeraph half chuckles and shakes his head again. "Oh, of course. Well tended to wind up in the bar, and hanging out with Nev." He grins. "Actually a lot of us did." He smiles about it.

"Evah hang about with Rah in all this bar-goin'?" If there's drinking involved, Rah's sure to follow.

Zeraph's brows furrow again and he shakes his head. "Not really..I never really saw Rah about.."

Keita hms. "Is that so? Well, mayhaps he's more loyal t' m' tavern than I thought." The doe gives a content sigh and wraps her arms around herself, settling in for the night.

Zeraph watches her for another moment, then leans against the bar again, looking tired. Another yawn escapes the buck and he sighs, looking across at the others that have already fallen asleep.

You say, "... Night, 'Raph." With a small grin, she rolls over onto her side and rests her cheek on the cool wood floor while finding a comfortable position."

Zeraph smiles lightly. "Good night.." He returns, then rests his head on his arm, letting himself doze off lightly. The buck seems peaceful.

Finally finding the most comfortable position that floor will provide, Keita too manages to doze. Night-night, tavern.