11-20-05

Characters involved: Lily, Keita, & Aralc.

Halyard Tavern: Main Room

Having gotten done with her shift, the doe has tossed a few back after a hard day. She sits at the very end of the bar, watching the otter serve the customers. At first she had been shouting out orders, but the worker had rectified the situation by giving Lily a few /stronger/ drinks than the doe can really handle. Her eyes have a half-lidded look, and it is clear the doe is a bit less up-tight than normal. The evening wears on, and soon Lily finds herself scrambling up stage, shouting out if anyone would like a song. The customers all find this horribly amusing, and cheer as Lily starts to sing a upbeat drinking song. The doe hop-skips and dances, shuffling her feet as she hollers the words out. Her voice isn't bad, though one can tell it would be better if she wasn't so loopy. Not to say she is drunk, for such a thing really wouldn't be pretty.

Keita hasn't been watching Lily from a booth in the far corner - not at all. She wouldn't dream of doing such a thing, but then again, someone's got to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't get totally sloshed and/or in trouble. Her ears twitch forward as the singing starts, and she rests her chin in a paw, watching the other doe with considerable interest; this is a side of the other doe she hasn't seen in a long time, if at all.

Lily lands on both feet shakily, holding her paws out while she is cheered on by the crowd. Another, slightly slower song is sung, and after that Lily holds up her paws, refusing all requests. She starts towards the edge of the stage, accepting the help of two bucks. They lead the loopy doe to their table, quickly offering her a shot of whatever they were drinking. Lily shrugs and starts to lower herself on a chair before one of the bucks takes the opportunity to tug her into his lap. She giggles and reaches for the shot, eyeing it for a moment.

Keita is up from her table as soon as the bucks lead Lily off the stage, and she's halfway there by the time she goes to sit, and she's at the table not long after Lily's been tugged onto the buck's lap. For a cripple, she moves pretty fast. As the other buck goes to sit she tugs his stool out from under him and he crashes to the floor, cursing - until he finds the end of a crutch pressing into his throat. "Tell yer friend t' help the doe up or you'll be breathin' through the back o' yer neck."

Lily blushes as she starts to tip the glass for the shot. Of course, that is until Keita the one-leg wonder appears out of nowhere. Lily jumps up, the shot glass flying from her paw. Her ears shoot up and she holds her paws up. "Hol' it, Kei! Hol' it!" The doe urges, going to press a paw to Kei's shoulder. "C'mon. Only havin' ah bit o' f-fun." She says sluggishly. Lily glances over her shoulder, wincing at the sight of the buck on the ground. "Take i' easy! Eaaasy."

"Ow! Dun' put th' damn barrel there, ye git! .. I'll knock the mickey outta y', leave t' wagon 'ere. Miss Keita be sortin' through it!" The conversation heads in from the front door, and it finally opens - allowing in the bulky doe. She shuts it swiftly behind her, disregarding the weasel that peeps in after her - almost clobbering him in the nose. However, it only takes her a moment to access the situation, as the one-legged doe is fairly hard to look over. " .. Eh! Miss Keets, y'r charm always was t' kill for." she wrinkles her nose pleasantly, as if the act of violence goes right over her head. The large doe starts making her way through, her bound ears giving a little bounce on the back of her shoulderblades. Of course, she sees the crutch, just not .. the missing leg yet.

Apparently the pinned buck is more interested in doing his best to breathe as the crutch presses further into his flesh, rather than convincing his companion of anything. Keita doesn't appear to mind, nor does she halt the increasing pressure until Lily's at her side. "Takin' advantage o' does is not somethin' I'm prepared t' accept as 'ah bit o' fun', not in my b-" Keita's ears flick at the familiar voice, and her gaze snaps around to Aralc. Her attention is taken long enough for the buck to roll away and out from under Keita's ministrations. "... Bar. Aralc?" Blink-blink. She looks back long enough to see the two bucks skulking towards the door. Scowl.

Lily folds her ears back, her head tilting up. "By th' whiskahs, Kei! Le'im go!" She groans, stepping away from the other. Her eyes staring down at the buck. Her tunic and pants are fully splattered with alcohol, though she doesn't even attempt to wipe it away. As Kei's speech is hindered, Lily turns her eyes up, glancing past Kei and towards the unfamiliar doe. "Uh... wha'?" She mumbles to Kei, having to scramble a few steps back for the buck and his friend to get away. Lily leans up against a table, her buzz causing her balance to be off.

Aralc takes one step back, and slings one arm around the first buck, then the second - since they did have to inch past her for the door. She cinches her arms down, trapping their heads at the sides of her ribs - faces turned into her elbows. Wouldn't want them to chomp her ribs, would she? "Whoa lads! It ta'nt polite t' slip o' when ah pretty doe be talkin' to yeh. Wh' don't y' tell th' Miss g'bye? I'm sure she'd right appreciate that, boyos." the doe turns her gaze up towards Keita, a rogueish smile lighting the corners of her lips. "Oi, do *I* g' some goodies for you, Miss Keets." Really. It's barely restrained enthusiasm. Barely restrained as in .. wow, those buck's ears are really turning red from her excited squeezing.

Keita grins appreciatively at Aralc, her eyes dancing with a combination of merriment and unexpended anger. "Well, well, well, guess I can't use the ol' where's a bouncah when ya need one line, can I?" She reaches out, flicking first one and then the other buck on the forehead right between the eyes. "Ya mind showin' these two out th'alley, then... we've got some catchin' up t' do." Lily is given a look, to be sure the tipsy doe is still all right. "Take a sit, Lil'." Pause. "On a chair." Not on a lap.

Aralc presses her lips together in an amused line, "Eh-heh!" she chimes, beaming with pride. "Y'got it, Missy!" the bucks cringe, scrambling after Alarc as she 'merrily' makes her way towards the door, not exactly giving them room to keep from keeping their shins from banging into chairs, doorposts, oh, any old thing. The doe is out, door shut, within a moment. Once outside, her expression immediately goes dark. " .. Ah' 'ope y' ain' got nuthin' to do with th' condition o' the missy, mates." Aaaand, off to the Alley! Whumpwhump.

Lily clams right back up into her rather shy self. The doe tilts her head down and strains her eyes up to watch the somewhat angry barkeep. "Erm... yeah. Will do." She mumbles almost sadly, flopping right down into the nearest empty chair. The doe sways slightly, her eyes crossing in attempts to get the triple-image out of her vision. "Really... nothin' was wrong... Kei'. I... I mean, jus'... treatin' me... t'ah drink for mah singin'. Wha's th' harm in... dat?"

"What would /you/ do if ya saw some buck draggin' /me/ onto their lap?" Keita rolls her eyes, just to imagine that scene. She limps over to where Lily sits, dropping onto the stool next to her. She sets her crutches aside, turning to eye the tipsy doe uncertainly. "Why were ya drinkin', Lil'?" She didn't arrive in time to catch the otter's questionable drink presentations.

Lily sighs and runs her claws in circles on the smooth table top. "Wasn't like tha', Kei." She mutters with a sheepish glance up. "I mean... /I/ wasn't gettin' tha' vibe. Really. Was jus' some friends." Hic. Lily presses a paw to her blunt snout, trying her best to shake off the buzz. "Damn, Kei. M'jus' havin' ah bit o' fun... few... few drinks! H'aint /you/ th' one ah'ways gettin' on mah case 'bout never havin' 'ny fun?"

Keita snorts, jealousy fueling her words, though her tone is dry. "I didn't know ya needed a drink'r three to have fun, m' deah." She looks towards the door in wait of Aralc's return, eyes narrowing about the edges, though not exactly in anger.

Aralc returns shortly after, opening the door and shutting it with her hip as she links her fingers in the small of her neck. The big doe gives the room a quick once over, quirking her brows as she settles on Keita's intense expression. "Eh-heh.. I wasn' damn well gone that long, was ah?" she inquires politely, making her way over. The doe tips her fingers to her brow and welcomes Lily this way, with a short bow of her head, one of her bound ears tumbling over her shoulder.

Lily fidgets in her seat, her balance throwing her sways off-whack. "Well, I didn't know you'd 'ave such ah problem wi' it." She retorts slowly. "M'fine. Jus' ah lil' light headed." The doe dismisses the angry Kei with a flap of her paw. Aralc gets another look, longer this time. Lily nods back slightly. "Umm... 'lo there."

At Aralc's words, Keita looks away with a wry smirk. "'Bout two seasons, I'd say." Without responding to Lily, she gestures from one doe to the other. "Lily - Aralc, Aralc - Lily." She explains to Lily. "Arly used to be somethin' of a - what? Not just a bouncah. Almost a partnah in the business. Helped me out a lot through some troubles with some locals..." Deep breath, let it out slowly, and above all, relax. Down off the edge, Kei'. "Lily's m'..." She looks around at Aralc, with a tight-lipped smile that doesn't reveal much, certainly not where Rory is in all this. "Mate." See? This is what happens when you leave Halyard - chaos! Lost legs and lost does, what's next?

Aralc's fingers come up, the tips running through her short headfur with a gesture of well-contained surprise. As she's more formerly introduced, she gives Lily another light smile - showing the light chip on one of her incisors. The doe looks back to Keita, as if she just hasn't - well, hadn't heard what she heard. No, Rory doesn't come out and wack someone over the head. Rory doesn't appear to be around at all. "Ooh." Alright Alarc old buddy, spin that surprised expression. "Well! Tha's great!" she reaches for a chair behind her, turning it so that she sits with her chest to the backrest, knees spread wide. "Right pretty she is, Missy. It's a pleasure, Lily." she folds her arms atop of the backrest, trying her damnest to keep her eyes from straying to Keita's missing leg. Wait. When she left, there definately was supposed to be a wee one running around here, but where ..?

Lily stays silent for a while, completely retreating back into good, quiet, submissive doe. After all, if she is going to get into trouble every time she has some fun... Lily attempts to shake the bitter thoughts from her mind, instead studying this fresh new face. Her ears tick at the word 'mate', and she nods slightly. Without warning a smile forms on her face at the interesting figure. Of course, that might be the alcohol curling those lips. "Oh, th' same f'me." She says, flushing slightly at the compliment. Being called 'pretty' somewhat tickles her insides somewhat. Lily turns the smile on Kei for a moment, trying to read her expression. "So... ah, yeh were partners, were yeh?" The doe says, rolling the particular word around in her mouth and mind.

Keita's ears flick back as she observes the passed greetings, doing her very best to look relaxed though she's failing miserably at it. A lot of unanswereds floating around in the air. But, oh! There's one she can answer. Keita nods, arms crossing over her chest. "Oh, aye. Seems I tend t' attract capable doe's..." A compliment to both, but under that an apology to Lily. She quirks a brow at Aralc, "So... what's this about goodies?"

Aralc smiles slightly, her cheeks tinging red as she rubs the back of her neck. "Oh, ah' just brought y' a whole few wagons full o' ales! Nice bitters, good ol' wheat ales, white ales, beer so full o' hops you'd be passin' grass - if you'd mind the sayin'." the doe flexes her fingers, "I figure .. bein' a sea-side town, we oughtta start tantilizin' the tongues, neh?"

Lily turns her ears forward, leaning forward until she looses her balance and leans on her knees with her elbows. Kei's compliment gets a steady look. In fact, its even a little cold. After all, the doe had been embarrassed in front of the whole bar. Her attention, instead, is turned back to Aralc. The crass manner of the new doe is given a little giggle, obviously amusing to the doe who doesn't exactly get exposed to such humor often. "Ale, y'say? We've been runnin' short, las' time I checked. Ah real life saver, you are Aralc!" Lily says with a wink.

Keita's jaw sets. Nonetheless, she does her best to look pleasantly surprised by Aralc's news - which she is. She's just also very, very piqued. "Yer kiddin' me? Lil's right... you /are/ a life savah. We've been havin' trouble with our suppliah, so..." She gestures to the bar. "We're a little short of what I'd like."

Aralc has this really charming look, well - it isn't /meant/ to be charming, what it is is really cute confusion. Aralc's a horrid sucker for two things. One, giggling. Two, girl's smiling. Lily has managed to bing the first one, and she does this puppy-confused cant of her head. "O..oh. Well.. ah..ha.." she rubs the back of her head a little more vigerously. Looking away from Lily to Keita as she speaks, managing to focus a bit more on the other doe's more serious expression. "Oh! S'grea' then. See.." she gives this sheepish smile, "I was visitin' these islands, ye know, and I go.. y' need more money! .. all you strange lot, gimme /yer/ kinds o ale, and we'll sell it at the sea-port an' explain where it comes from .. n' maybe someone nice n' big'll look t' come buy it from yeh! .. They ain' got no problem throwing a few kegs over a piece."

Lily dangles on every word of the story, her mouth rounding into an amazed 'o'. Keita is all but ignored for the moment. "Wow... th' islands? You mus' travel ah'/lot/." Lily states in an awed manner. She nudges Keita in the shoulder. "Y'hear tha'? Travelin' by /ship/." Which, if Keita cares to remember, is one thing that Lily wants to do more than anything. Quickly the burly doe is chalked up as a hero in Lily's eyes. "So y'spent ah'lot o' time on th' ocean? Like ah real life sailor! Mus' be nice, huh? Salty air clearin' yer lungs?" She babbles, her buzz making way for a better sense of interest.

Twitch-twitch-twitch. Keita gathers her crutches to her person and stands. "'Ey... looks like our friend ovah there could use a bit o' help." She indicates the otter working the bar, who doesn't actually look busy at all. "I'll be jus' there - keep talkin', raise yer voices or somethin', I'll hear ya." Ahem. She makes a beeline for the bar.

Aralc looks back at Lily, having this 'Wuh?' expression back on her face - which clearly flusters the poor burly doe. She holds her calloused paws up, clearing her throat. "Ah.. ah..! I just do it for the Missy o'r there! I need ah' bit o time.. n' a figured ah'd try t' benefit t' place.. s'no worries, no worries at all." Musn't.. look.. her.. in eyes.. too shiny. Alarc tugs on one of her bound ears, it's a wonder those things haven't fallen off. "S'right nice, it is, on the seas. Iffin' y'r stommach is good, n' y' don't mind dried cod everyday." she grins toothily, looking up adruptly as Keita departs. The doe clears her throat, straightening up. "I'll 'ave those b.." she pauses for a moment, her eyes tracing down, stopping adruptly at Keita's stump. Twitch. " .. kegs put in th' storage, neh?"

Lily turns her ears as Keita leaves. She actually takes a glance back, and frowns. "Yeah, a'righ'." She mutters with a roll of her eyes. Soon enough attention was back on Aralc, her grin still plastered on her face. "Cod? Well! Spiff, I /like/ cod!" Lily says with a tiny laugh. "Still... mus' be all frightenin', knowin' th' weather has y'in its coils. An' yah do it all f'Kei! Righ' brave o' yah!" Lily boasts, accompanying the statement with a nod. "Well, we owe yah ah'lot, we do. Ale is few an' far between. An' iffen th' load is half o' what yah say it is... Neville 'imself is gonnah be jealous." She jokes, pressing a playful paw to one of Aralc's shoulders.

Keita rolls her eyes with her back to Aralc, and Lily in particular. She pats the 'tender on the shoulder as she passes, murmuring permission for them to take off for the night. It's getting on towards closing anyway, especially given how variable closing time has tended to be lately. She turns in time to nod in answer to Aralc. "Aye - that'd be fine. Though we'd do with just gettin' it inside for the night. Ya must be tired." Nod.

Aralc's eyebrows quirk at Lily's expression, but it's forgotten in all of the sparkle-sparkle-sparkle. Aralc just listens, her head just canted to the side as her lips part. "Aaah.." scratchscratch! She tugs at the scraggly fur at the base of her neck. "Well, Missy is th' only one who proper dun' mind who I am." she dips her head, allowing Lily's paw to 'sway' her slightly, and she grins good naturedly. "I 'ope so! This place means th' world t' me, n' if I can toss kegs in 'ere, ah'll will!" she stands up, tipping her fingers from her brows to Lily politely before looking towards Keita. "Ah am, but I'll get that lot in, 'fore that weasel starts suckin' on the spout. Why dun' you n' Lily pack up f' bed? I'll take care o' it in 'ere."

Keita gives Aralc a grateful nod. "Thanks, Arly..." Her lips twitch in a half-grin. "Yer room's still yers. It's just... a little dusty, mayhaps." Heh. Keita tosses a wash cloth into a sink, having not really used it and apparently deciding to do clean-up in the morning before opening again. She nods to the last two customers at the bar. "Closin' time, chaps... yeah, yeah, I know, yer not done. Go on anyway." She waves them away, and with a lot of grumbling and sighing, they climb off their stools and clump towards the door.

Oblivious to the awkwardness that the other seems to be going through, Lily keeps a steady smile and a tilted head. "Who y'are?" She asks, her brow suddenly wrinkling with confusion. Her bottom lip is chewed on for a moment. Lily retracts her paw and folds it back into her lap. Lily is somewhat distracted by the customers filing out, but she keeps most of her attention on Aralc. "F'what? Oh! Righ'... um..." The doe sends a hesitant looks to the barhare. "Well, y'know... m'not very tired but..." Reluctantly she stands, and teeters as she does so. "Th' sea sounds nice. Yeh'll have t'tell me more ah'bout i'."

Aralc wiggles her eyebrows at Lily playfully, "A rogue! Missy puts up with it!" she bursts into laughter, wiping the corner of her eye before she gives Keita a 'Hello, sorry, I'm guilty!' look, before she hooks her thumbs into her belt hoops, standing with her feet shoulders-width apart. She's just gotta take up space, really, whereever she is. "Y' betcha, y' be seein' me round, no doubt. Prolly 'ear me up in the mornin's, grumblin' about th' blasted sound o' those damn gulls." the room offer makes her look verra happy, and she beams. "Thanks, Keita! .. Eh-heh, not like ah' got much t' put in it." When she did shove off, Keita probably found like .. one extra pair of trousers. Bad no-shopping-doe.

Keita limps back around the bar and over towards Lily, pausing at her side and reaching out to steady any further teetering in a perfunctory manner. "Oh, the gulls aren't s'bad. But if yer goin' t' be up, I might jus' join ya. We c'n catch up." Erhem. She flicks a glance at Lily. "Well, I'm goin' t' head up. If yer not sleepy, you c'n..." Well. She shrugs. Do what you want, that shrug says. She looks back to Aralc, and offers the other doe a grin. "It's good t' have ya back, Arly. Nigh'." Nodding, she turns, and limps for the stairs. As usual it's a slow process going up, but she doesn't look back.

Lily tries to stay on her feet, and as the buzz wears away, it happens to be much easier. "Rogue, huh? Oh! Well, yeah... she puts up wi' me, too... though I 'pose I'm not as excitin' as a Rogue an' all tha'." The oblivion to the situation ebbs away and finally Lily is forced to frown and try to evaluate the situation that she has evidently allowed to get out of paw. "Oh... well, mayhaps m'ah bit sleepy..." She says as if unsure of herself. Lily takes an uneasy step towards Keita, turning an apologetic look to Aralc. "Don' min' her none. Jus' grumpy t'nigh' f'some reason or othah." The doe whispers with a sigh.