All smiles and sunshine! Well, moonshine. Well... Moonlight. It's night time at the mountain, and Darklett must just be too giddy to sleep. Things've really been goin' right for the perennially unlucky major, so he's stepped outside the mountain for a late night snack and a pensive rest. The ocean's being nice and calm, and a few night birds are flying overhead. Dark eyes them lazily, and does a quick sweep of his surroundings, because... Well, he's expecting to get shot while he's out here. That would be typical for him, after all.

Out of the darkness appears the form of a limping hare - a doe, by the outline. The head is lowered, and every few seconds the limp turns into a stagger. Not a word nor a sound comes from the does direction, just a silent progress toward the mountain.

Ooh. Eyes pick up on this. Darklett earflicks, and peers into the darkness. It's a doe, and... she's limping. A paw going to his belt, resting on a throwing knife, the major shoves his back off the mountain and stands, going to investigate.

The limp that's turned into a stagger now turns into a stumble, and the doe drops to a knee in the sand, her paws cushioning her fall. Her head hanging, her shoulders appear to be shaking... with sobs? In pain? It's really hard to tell. That is, unless Darklett gets close enough to hear the fact that she's snickering. He might also notice the wooden peg standing in place of a foot poking out of one of her pant legs.

The collapse makes Darklett pick up the pace a little bit, heading towards the doe at a rate marginally quicker than a jog. He does get close enough to see that it's Keita, and he runs a little faster, but stops short when he hears the laughter. Hm? "Kei? You alright?"

Hummm? Keita's head jerks around at she looks up at Darklett with bloodshot eyes. She smirks and shakes her head, allowing it to drop back down into a hanging position. "A'right? Yeah. 'Kei's' pleeeenty a'right." Another low snicker drifts up to Darklett before the doe starts struggling up.

( One eye narrows at Keita as Darklett watches her get up, the buck stepping forward quickly to help her along. "...What're you doing out here by yourself this late?" )

Marsuvees room-pages, "Wait, what's K doing at the mountain? She randomly walked there from Halyard?".

"Hm? Oh." Once Keita is righted into a standing position, she tucks her paw into a pocket and pulls out her canteen, which she then shakes. "Outta drink, m'good buck. Figgered I'd come n get some." Yeees. That explains why she walked two hours from Halyard, from Halyard /Tavern/... to the mountain. Mm-hm. She looks up and around at him, flashing a wide grin which in the same instant wavers into uncertainty. She turns and pulls away to start toward the mountain, again.

Keita room-pages, "Stupid lag. And soooort of, yeah.".

"...You came all the way to the mountain to get one canteen of alcohol?" Darklett pads behind Keita, brows furrowing. "I don't believe that for a second, Kei. What are you doing? Are you sure you're alright?" He jogs up to get in front of her, turn and stop, so as to get in the way of her continuing without an answer.

Hrm. This is a quandary. When Darklett steps in front of her, Keita is of course forced to stop. She stands there staring at him for a moment, then squints curiously and steps two steps to the side. "'Course'm a'right."

Darklett steps neatly to the side to continue to block Keita's way. "The other question. If you're alright, then why are you here well past midnight by yourself, and obviously lying to me as to /why?/" Pointed glance to show that he's serious.

Another squint. Hmmmmm. Keita takes a step back and a side step in the /other/ direction. The pointed glance goes unnoticed, it would seem. There's a faintly amused smile playing about her lips, though there /does/ seem to be something off about it. "S'there some reason m'not allowed t' go n do what I please?"

Darklett doesn't step to counter Keita this time, just narrows his eyes at her and lets it go. "...Not at all." The major just walks back toward the mountain with a slow shrug. "Not really my business, I guess, then."

As soon as Darklett has turned away, the smile drops off her face. Her eyes narrow slightly as she drops her gaze away from the retreating buck, but she nonetheless follows him forward. He may or may not hear her mutter, "... Just go n ruin m'mood, then." More like ruin her buzz, the little killjoy.

Darklett does a quick half step and turns. "Er, didn't mean to, but it kinda scares me when you just show up like this. I just need to stop getting into others' issues." He turns again and starts walking for the mountain. "Don't need any help with anything?" he asks, half casual as the two near the mountain.

Their encounter seems to have cleared her head a little bit, and by association, her good cheer has vanished. She squints, glancing to the side at him. "... Didn't know I was in the habit of just showin up'. 'Sides, no one's dead or hurt, so." She looks back toward the mountain with a shrug and a shake of her head. "'Less you've got some quality ale stashed away somewhere I ain't seein' it." And another sidelong glance, because. That'd have to be a /pretty/ impressive hiding place.

Darklett turns and sits once he reaches the mountainside and rests against the cool rock. "No stash that I know of, no. Just the normal stuff that you typically don't think is as good as your own, let alone worth walking any sort of long distance for, and especially at this hour." He looks at Keita curiously, then holds his tongue. "Let me know if you need anything, I guess. Not too many beasts besides sentries awake."

Holds his tongue? Hardly. XD Keita eyes Darklett for a long moment as he sits, seeming to hesitate. After all, he has a point. Their ale's no better'n muddy water. Why /did/ she come here? "... So what're /you/ doin' out here, then?"

Darklett looks over at Keita as she, oddly enough, stops moving into the mountain. He shrugs and responds to her question. "Couldn't sleep. Finally got things straightened out between me and Jakk. Now I have to get Audri to understand..." Sigh, and a shake of his head.

"How /is/ the little chip off the ole block doin', then?" Rather than head into the mountain, she actually turns and leans against the mountain. Her arms cross over her chest and she looks out toward the water with slightly narrowed eyes. "The new'un, that is."

"He's doin' alright. Kinda... I think he had to get used to me." Darklett shrugs, looking up and to the side at Keita. "I'm surprised he's not as bitter as I thought he was gonna be. I count myself lucky." The major chuckles, then adds on: "For once."

Keita doesn't return the look. She just keeps staring out. "... Well, good on you, I s'pose. How's the love of yer life doin' with all this?" Presumably Jakk's mum, that is. Her lips twitch in a /threat/ of a smirk, but it never comes to fruition.

"Heh. Well, she's doin' alright. We've been getting along, which is great." Darklett goes thoughtful for a second. "I guess she's forgiven me for everything... Or she forgot. But both are alright to me." He raises a paw to scratch at an ear, looking out to the sea. "She's also learning to deal with mountain life. Slowly, but."

"Heh. Well, she's doin' alright. We've been getting along, which is great." Darklett goes thoughtful for a second. "I guess she's forgiven me for everything... Or she forgot. But both are alright to me." He raises a paw to scratch at an ear, looking out to the sea. "She's also learning to deal with mountain life. Slowly, but."

"More'n I could evah do." Keita shakes her head ever so slightly, slipping down slowly into a sitting position, her remaining knee drawn up to her chest with the other leg spread out before her. Her head tilts back and she looks up toward the stars. "... How're you doin' with it?"

"Me?" Darklett looks over to Keita again, half-smiling as she's seated, then goes to look out toward the sea one more time. "Now that Jakk and Selene are both happy, I have no choice but to really... /really/ enjoy being a dad." He smiles full-on now, looking back over to Keita. "Audri'll learn to get along with him eventually. Maybe he'll keep her out of trouble, heh."

"Well. Audri's old 'nough to fend fer herself, if not. She'll get on with livin' her life one way or anothah." Keita shruuuugs, looking none too concerned for the little tyke. She turns her head to the side for a glance Darklett's way. "Glad yer happy."

"...Thanks." Something strikes Darklett about that last bit that Keita said, and he looks over to her with a bit of a comfortable smile. "We'll see about Audri, though." Face goes back towards the ocean. "Huh. So hard to remember when I stopped hating you and everything you stood for."

Something about what /Darklett/ says strikes /Keita/. She smiles at his words, turning her eyes toward the sky again. "Oh, what? You stopped hatin' me? Musta missed that message." Her smile turns into a grin, and the grin into a chuckle. "If it helps, /I/ still think yer a selfish rottah." Ha! Haha. She's joking. Of course.

"Heh." Darklett grins over at the other hare, rolling his eyes, laughing quietly along with the chuckle. "It helps /so/ much. Thanks for that." He reaches over to give Keita a playful nudge with his paw to her shoulder. "Oh come on. I've been /trying,/ at least. Give me at least that."

Tranbuck strolls around the mountain from the south, humming the tune to a marching song quietly to himself.

The nudge predictably nudges her over. She smirks, looking back at him while she rubs her shoulder. "... Yeah-yeah. Sure. I /s'pose/ I'll give ya that." She roolls her eyes, her ears perking only slightly at the distant humming. "Ya rottah."

"Huhuh. Alright, now I have to work on all my other negative traits. Selfish, though? Got that covered." Ears perk at the humming as well, but it's disregarded. "...So." And back to the beginning. "...Really. What're you outta Halyard for?"

Tranbuck's humming gets closer, although he is still oblivious to the other hares.

Keita smirks at his reply, looking in fairly decent spirits... up until the point that he asks his question. Her expression turns serious, her head lowering as she considers her paw, which is draped across her knee. There's a loooong silence, and then, "Zeraph, he... he /kissed/ me."

Oh, well then. "...He what?" Dark really tries to keep from jumping up in outrage, though he's only partially successful, in that he doesn't quite jump up, but he clearly shows outrage. "Why? What'd you do to him?"

Um. Well. Outrage wasn't /quite/ the reaction she was expecting. She kind of just stares at him for a moment, looking surprised. And then she snaps out of it, with a furious shake of her head. "I didn't do /anythin'/ to him! Not a thing. I don't know why the 'ell he did it. Certainly didn't /ask/ 'im to."

"D'you want me to hit him?" Darklett wields a fist and punches his palm, as if illustrating what he'll do if Keita just says the word. "He's hit me before for like no reason, I'll hit him if you want me to."

Keita eyes Darklett as if he miiiight have gone the teensiest bit off his rocker. "... Uh. Isn't Raph s'posed to be, like. Yer best friend or sommat?" Blinkity-blink. "Uh. Not that I'm surprised he's hit you fer no reason. Seems like he does that. Doin' things fer no 'parent reason." Heh.

Tranbuck goes into Dynamic Role-play.

"Yeah, sure, me and Zeraph are real good friends, but sometimes friends need to remind friends that they shouldn't kiss Keita if she doesn-" Darklett stops, clearing his throat. "...Did you kiss back?"

Tranbuck stops humming, hearing voices in the darkness ahead. He presses his body against the rock wall and glides forward stealthily.

What! Huh? How could he even! - ... oh, wait. Keita averts her eyes, looking suddenly rather... shifty. "... No. No, 'course I didn't. I mean... I was s'prised at first, so I jus'... but no! I punched 'im." Well, that's one interpretation of what happened. It's leaving out a whole mess of stuff that happened in between, but that's Keita for you.

"Oh. You already hit him, then." Darklett seems to relax a little, his fur, previously on end, resting back to its normal state. "Where's he now?" The major poses the question, but it's definitely less panicked than before.

Tranbuck sees that the speakers are hares, but he doesn't yet reveal himself.

"... Well, uh. I kinda, um. Ran out. So, uh... I dunno.. Still there, mayhaps?" She squints, looking suddenly rather nervous about it. Maybe he followed her? Oh no! She turns her eyes toward the shore once again.

Noticing the nerves from Keita, Darklett frowns. He's really never seen any nervous or scared side of Keita before, ever. "...I can hit him again, to make sure the message got through." Shrug.

Tranbuck this is the time to reveal himself. Who would you like to hit? He asks as he steps out from behind the rock he was hiding behind.

"... No, uh. I just, um... I think the message got through?" Riiiiight. Keita looks like she's about to say something more when Tranbuck appears. Her eyebrows go up. "... Well, there's this guy who likes t' eavesdrop on othah folks' conversations. I'd /really/ like t' hit /him/." Mm-hm.

Darklett's ears perk, and he turns around, to see Tranbuck. What? Dark just stares at the younger hare, blinking. Keita really does say it all, but he stands up and turns to face the newcomer anyway. "Move along. This's none of your business." Arms cross, a brow raising towards Tranbuck.

Tranbuck raises an eyebrow at Keita. 'I wahsn't eavesdroppin'. There ain't no eaves here. I jus' eard you two talkin. An' I only eard th last bit. About hittin'.

Seems like Darklett's said just about what she wanted to say, and better with less sarcasm. So that's all good. She merely rolls her eyes and looks away from the both and toward the shore, again. Hrm.

Darklett furrows his brows. "Move a/long,/ please." He even flicks his head toward the entrance of the mountain. "Go on." Darklett sits back down, but just sorta rests there, giving the occasional glance to Tranbuck.

Tranbuck salutes Darklett. Sir! Yes, sir! He then slips into the mountain. He can't disobey a direct order from a superior.

... Well /that's/ handy. "So... is that a requirement fer bein' an officah, or do they teach ya that aftah they promote ya?" She turns to watch Tranbuck go, shaking her head.

Waiting till Tranbuck's gone, Darklett then grins, a little proudly, mostly cheekily. "It sorta comes with the title, I guess." Hahaha, haha. Siiiiigh. "...So next time I see Zer, would you rather I act like this conversation never happened?"

"... I'd rathah if /I/ could act like this whole thing nevah happened." Keita shakes her head, looking... almost kind of angry. She shakes her head, looking off toward Halyard with slightly squinted eyes. Meh. "I mean. What was he even thinkin'? Just 'cause he kisses me, m'not just gonna up n start likin' bucks all of a sudden. I mean... why'd he even /do/ that?" She shakes her head, frowning faintly. "... He's such an idiot."

Darklett just... sorta looks at Keita in surprise. She is /really/ upset by this. Good thing he didn't try first, eh eh? "I don't know..." But at the same time, it makes him sort of sympathize with the good lieutenant. "I mean... You're not exactly repulsive, Kei," he points out, hesitantly. "Missing leg and all, you're really not so bad."

See, now /this/ is why Keita doesn't like bucks. They're all... complimentary and stuff. Keita eyes Darklett for a long moment... and in the end just kind of shakes her head. "I swear, Darklett, if you start callin' me pretty, I'll deck ya." Another shake of her head, and she digs into her pocket and finds her flask. Her emergency reserve, if you will. It is unscrewed, and the flask tilted to her lips.

"Heh." Dark shakes his head adamantly. "Well, he kissed you for a reason. /He/ must've thought so." There, didn't even directly say it himself, bwaha. "Though, you aren't ugly by any means. Waist up, anyway..." It's the thinly veiled compliments that are going to keep him from getting hit tonight. Though he watches her take out the hidden flask with amusement.

"... I dunno. He was goin' on about... doin' somethin' special for me, or... somethin'. I dunno. Like maybe it was a pity kiss or... I dunno." She frowns, looking rather despondent all of a sudden. The veiled compliment only gets a slightly warning glance. He can /still/ be hit, that look says. Any time. "Hurt m'paw, I think. When I punched 'im." She holds the one up, and the knuckle is in fact split. She eyes it curiously, turning it this way and that. "... Ah well. Was worth it."

Darklett actually snickers a few laughs out, brows both raising as he looks over at Keita's knuckle. "Wow. Hit him pretty hard, then..." He looks to Halyard with a smirk. "Was he knocked out, or what?"

Keita just... hehs. "Not... exactly." She shakes her head, then, and takes another swig from the flask before holding it out to Darklett. "Ya want?"

"How can you be not exactly knocked out?" Dark grins and takes the flask. "Thanks..." He takes a quick sip from it and hands it back, licking his lips and smirking.

"... Just trust me. He wasn't knocked out." She just... shakes her head. And laughs. Ha. Haha. Heeeeeh. She ducks her head, rubbing absently at the back of her neck. The flask is plucked up and she has another sip. Mm-mm.

Darklett hms at that last little bit. "Okay, so he wasn't knocked out... He should be back at the mountain soon." He shrugs, watching Keita carefully. "You don't think he'd hurt you, do you?"

That seems to strike Keita as funny, because her lips twitch in a rather fatalistic grin. "... Nah. Why? D' /you/?" She glances to the side at Darklett, eyebrows raised. "... I dunno. No. I can't picture Raph hittin a doe."

"...Neither can I. I just wanted to make sure you didn't... You know. Think you were in danger." Darklett looks very very protective for a second, there, and Keita can probably catch it if she's watching.

Keita catches it. But what's she going to do about it? She only shrugs to herself. "Nah. I mean... I was the one hittin' him, not the othah way 'round. He grabbed m'arm at one point, but that was it." She shrugs again and ducks her head. "Ah well. M'just gonna pretend it didn't happen. If he'll let me."

Darklett hehs, scratching at his ear again. "Well, let's hope..." He shakes his head, biting at his lip. "Just... I don't know. I guess it'd be best if you did that. Might make the whole... Rejection thing easier." Shrug.

"Well. T'be fair... it's not s'much a rejection o' him s'much as the whole gendah, y'know? Raph's a good guy, I jus'..." Keita trails off, shaking her head. "Whatevah. S'not my fault he decided t' be an idiot all of a sudden."

Darklett nods slowly, leaning his head back against the mountainside. "Guess you're right. Whatever you want to do... I don't really know /what/ to do, anyway. Kinda wish he hadn't done it." Sigh. "I won't be hard on him or anything, 'cause I don't fault him for what he did. I mean, unless you're somehow hurt... He just wanted to love you, I guess." Shrug again.

"But he's an /idiot/. I love you guys, all you guys, more'n just about anything." Including Darklett? Huh. That's an interesting shift. "You, Raph, Roth, Rahier... yer m'best mates. Just you bucks always have t' go n make things all... complicated." And because he's a buck, he gets lumped into this with a sqinty-eyed glance. Humph.

Darklett's ears flick, and he sorta looks off for a bit, though he is caught in that squint, a half-smile crossing his face along with a half-laugh. "Hehe... Well, for what it's worth, I think I love you, too." And as soon as he says it, he nearly hits himself, 'cause of how that sounded. "I mean like with the... uh, way you meant it," he tries to recover. ASAP.

Keita's squint becomes briefly more severe... and then she relents with a smirk and a shake of her head. "... It's official. Yer all idiots." She snorts. "Forget it, though. I knew what ya meant." She reaches across, patting him on the shoulder absently.

"...Hhhheh." That was close. Darklett scratches at his ear one more time. "Yeah, Selene probably wouldn't like that too much if it was the /other/ way..." Laugh, laugh. "Speakin' of which, she's probably up wondering just where I am. I'd better go get at least a few hours of sleep..." A look to the sea shows the hints of a waxing sunrise. "You gonna stay here or head back?"

"... I dunno. Might just drink n watch the sun rise. Think about things. Ya know?" She turns her head toward Darklett, look thoughtful. She gives a reassuring nod toward the niche. "Go on. I'll be a'right."

"Alright. If you, uh... Need anything." Darklett nods to Keita, and stands up, heading toward the niche. "Night."

Keita smiles faintly, and nods her head again. "... Night." Watching him for a few more seconds, she then turns away, her eyes and ears tuned toward the sounds of the sea and that hint of a sunrise. She raises the flask to her lips, and takes a contemplative sip.

Whisperwhisper, a hard shuffle of a footpaw against stone ground, and the rustle of clothing as a fist swings at the air. All subtle noises as Darklett moves into the niche.