08-08-05

Characters involved: Lily & Keita.

Halyard Tavern: Main Room

The late night erupted in shouts and angry growls, though they were far away. Not more than a few seconds after the first shouts a dark figure cracks a window open and slips in, pale eyes darting around in the dark. The unidentified animal fell from the sill to the floor with a soft thump, a little sack thrown over it's shoulder. It hovered near the window, listening as the shouts turned on each other and a fight broke out. The figure sniggered and turned, creeping further into the tavern.

The shouts and general noise draw Keita's attention and she appears from inside the kitchen, drying her paws with a dish cloth as she goes. The main room is dark save for a couple of lamps the doe left lit, and so Lily's form is just barely visible. The doe narrows her eyes. "... Who's there?"

Lily looks over her shoulder at the window, her ears back and tied together. Two buck teeth glint in the soft light, indicating a wicked smile. Of course, all movement ceases as the voice sounds. Lily ducks as low to the ground as possible. her eyes squinting and her breath quickening. She tries her best to scoot up against the bar, but instead ends up knocking a bar stool over. The doe presses her back against the counter and holds her breath, the sack slumping to the ground.

Keita watches the outline skitter towards her and the counter, which she is presently standing behind. Slowly, slowly, she steps forward and leans out over the counter. Her ears appear first, and then the rest of her face. The huddled form is stared at. "... Hullo?"

Lily stares up with wide eyes at the ears, then the face. The doe quickly wraps her arms over her head and squeaks. "Ah didn't take it! Ah swear!" Lily yelps, her footpaws turning in as she attempts to maker herself smaller. The sack is momentarily forgotten as the young doe sobs. "Go 'way! Shouldn't be in th' tavern!"

Keita mouth opens in a slight 'ohhhhh'. "Lil' - it's Keita. Yer, ah... yer okay. Okay?" She disappears and a few seconds later, appears around the edge of the counter. Both of her paws are held up in surrender.

Lily lets her paws slide very slowly from her head, her eyes peeking up as Keita disappears. The doe looks rather confused for a moment. "Keita?" She asks, glancing over as the other comes into view. Lily bounces up, banging her head on the lip of the bar counter. She clamps a paw to it with a hiss but staggers up and out anyways. "Ah... Ah know you! Hah! You /own/ th' tavern!" Lily says happily, though she looks like she's in pain. "Fish! Ah have fish. Stole it." The doe motions a paw down to the sack.

Keita grins very faintly at Lily's... antics, for lack of a better word. "Well... it's good t' see ya. I was wonderin' when ya'd show up." She continues over to Lily but stops short, dropping onto a stool nearby. "How ya doin', Lily?"

Lily turns a suspicious look back to the window, though the shouts have died down. "Ech. Ran away from here. Not meanin' t'come back. No other place, really. Don' like th' mountain." She shudders and picks up the sack, clutching onto it. The smell of fish grows. "Where is Rory?" Lily suddenly snaps, giving a glare around the room.

Keita ignores the smell, though her nose does wrinkle. "Rory's... she's not here, Lil'. Not here." The doe reaches out a paw for the sack. "How 'bout I put that on the countah, here..."

Lily tightens her grip on the sack, though in an afterthought she allows Keita to take it. "Eh? Not? Might stay then. Got weird thoughts in mah brain. Can' 'member who Ah am half th' time. Strange 'n scary." The doe admits. "Ah feel like seashell hunting. Weird, yeah? 'Pose it's too dark, though."

Keita takes the sack and gently sets it down on the counter. She wrinkles her nose and pushes it away from her. She turns her attention back to Lily. "So I guess... I guess ya can't jus' be normal, then? I guess?"

Lily studies the window outside for a moment, her tied ears twitching. "Normal?" She repeats, turning cold eyes on the other for a moment. "One does not lightly turn normal aftah season o'pain an' sufferin' an' rejection." The doe growls, but after a moment glances at the sack, as if she was never angry. "Should be good fish! You want some? Verminies wont be eatin' t'night!"

Keita's ears dip low at Lily's words, but the guilt is easier to deal with then the vacant words. Keita's lips form a thin line of determination, and she gets up from the stool and moves to stand right in front of Lily. Close, very close. "Lil'."

Lily tears her eyes off the sack, returning them to a doe that is much closer to her than when Lily looks away. Her eyes widen for a moment and she slowly lets them trace up to Keita's eyes. For a brief moment it seems that Lily is about to freak, but for once she just flicks her ears up. "What?" Lily asks suspiciously.

Instead of saying anything, she reaches out and places her paws on Lily's shoulders. Then, with a determined glint to her eyes, she leans in and kisses the doe firmly on the lips. Lily is quickly released and the doe's arms drop to her side, but she doesn't step back. Instead, she just stands there, waiting... for what? A word, a slap? For Lily to run?

Lily glances down to her left at the paws on her shoulder. The doe looks confused for a moment, and lets her feet slide to the floor, pressing her weight on them gently. There is a small, surprised squeak as she's pulled into a kiss, but before she can even react Keita pulls away and stands there. Lily stares at her for a moment then suddenly leans forward, wrapping her arms around the other and sobbing into the other does shoulder. "I... I'm sorry." The doe cries, tightening her hold on the other. "Please... Ah love you Kei... all Ah could thin' ah'bout in... in... in Ruingate!"

Keita's eyes squinch shut tightly as Lily's arms go around her, in relief and just... Relief. The doe wraps her own arms around the other, holding her tight. "I'm so sorry, Lil'... I was so worried about ya when ya left, 'n' when ya didn't come back..." She trails off, holding the other closer. "I'm jus' so sorry..."

Lily shudders slightly, feeling the wet spot she's leaving on Kei's shoulder. Her head lifts slightly, and she presses her cheek against Keita's. "Ah ain't leavin' ah'gain. This s'mah home, always has been." Lily mumbles miserably. After a tight squeeze Lily lets go and pulls back, looking back at Keita with watery eyes. "S'been ah hard las' few seasons, an' Ah can't lose yah ah'gain."

Keita's eyes glint watery in the dim lamp light, but from the small that takes her expression, it's apparent they're happy tears. Her eyes rove over Lily's face, and the doe takes in Lily's words like each is a precious jewel. Because, well... they are so /Lily/. So normal, so sane. Keita raeches out and touches a paw to Lily's cheek. "Ya won't. I'm not goin' anywhere..."

Lily snuffles gently, her cheeks bunching up happily under her eyes. For the first time in what seems like ever, her thoughts are coming across clearly. Very slowly a smile forms, her teeth showing in true hare form. She raises her own paw and presses it gently to Kei's on her cheek. "Ah know. Somehow, this all feels like ah dream. Ah'll probably wake up, y'know... wi' mah paws tied and ah whip at mah back... but it's ah good dream." Lily says softly and leans in to plant a gentle kiss on Keita's nose.

Keita allows the gentle kiss to her nose, but just to make sure Lily knows she's not dreaming, she takes her free paw and pinches her lightly on the forearm. She then grins, faintly. "See? Yer not dreamin'."

Lily cringes slightly. "Yeow." He mumbles to herself, rubbing her arm. "Well, Ah guess Ah aint. But tha' isn't stoppin' it from being as nice as 'ny dream Ah've had."

Keita rubs the spot that she poinched comfortingly, then lowers her paws to her side, grinningly. "It's like a dream havin' ya back here... in the tavern, togethah again... Jus' like it used t' be, though..." She looks around, a bit ruefully, "with a few less customahs, jus' lately..."

Lily giggles slightly and grabs the sack. "But we got each othah. C'mon. This fish is still go, Ah swear. Feel like Ah've been eatin' grass f'seasons... lets fry it up an' have ourselves ah lil' feast." She loops an arm around Kei's attempting to tug her into the kitchen.

Keita laughs as she is tugged and follows the other doe willingly. Her eyes remain stuck on Lily at all times, hanging on every word she says. She has literally been stunned into silence, and so she just follows - quietly, quietly.