4-21-04

Characters involved: Rahier Darklett

RW Abbey: Wine Cellar ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The wine cellar is cool, dry, and dimly lit. It is a very large, low room, extending far back into the Abbey's underworks. The vast space is almost entirely taken up by rack upon rack of wine bottles and ale casks, barrels of all sizes, and shelves of flagons and stoneware flasks. For all the space available, the drink here only fills a small part of it, and most of the barrels still stand empty. There have been obvious work efforts occuring here recently, and the cellar is, if emptier than seasons past, cleaner than it has been in a long while. The further corners of the cellar are hidden in shadow, and consist of many nooks and crannies. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Exits: [Up] to the Kitchens

A tune drifts up, out of the cool cellar. It's humming, and the tuneless noise leads back to Rahier. The buck sits on a small chair in front of a small table, which he's using as a footrest. Humming is, of course, secondary only to the booze, judging by the bottle he has in paw.

Still trying to find a quiet space somewhere in this motion-life abbey, Darklett tries the dim, cool wine cellar. The buck seems to be satisfied with the location, when the humming of Rahier starts up. "Well, fancy seeing you here." Might as well make the best of the situation.

The tuneless humming apparently has words to go with it, now that Darklett's close enough. "Thank yeh, Keita, thankee, thankee... Keita!" For being so uninventive and thoroughly grating, Rahier seems happy. Gulp. Then Darklett appears, and all humming ceases. Glare. "...Whaddaya want?"

Eesh. Darklett is slightly grinning, obviously repressing his face muscles with all his willpower. "Uh. Well, sah, it's been quite a while since you gave me my leave from the patrol..." The grin's gone now, it's all the hare can do to keep from stammering like an idiot. Before now, he's been letting the whole "leave of absence" issue take care of itself, but that wasn't getting anywhere. The hare shifts uncomfortably.

Rahier squints one eye, glowering just slightly at the other buck. Until he apparently remembers what the hell Darklett's talking about. "..Oh, righ'. You're that crazy feller." Rahier turns back to the table, as if.. that was an answer. Drink drink.

"Yes, the crazy one. That's me." Seeing as the major's drunk, Darklett thinks he has a bit of a chance here. "Well, I was thinking maybe since I've been on good behavior, and I'm not... really crazy..." Spit it out, idiot. "Maybe you could reinstate me back into the patrol?" Nervous shuffle, expectant wince, disarming grin.

"Darklett, righ'?" Asks the major, rolling his head languidly back towards the other buck, breaking into sudden grin. "S'that 'cause you're all.. dark, righ'? I -get- it." Rahier snickers to himself. "Y'look good in th'uniform, if'n y'don't mind m'sayin' so. Very... fitting." But he still doesn't really answer, tipping the end of the bottle upwards once more.

... Ah, whatever'll please the major. "Yes, it's cause of my fur color. It's a clever name, I agree." Darklett shuffles his feet again. "And thank you for the compliment, I take pride in wearing this uniform... But it really means nothing unless I'm -officially- in the Patrol..." He leans forward on his feet a bit to emphasize "officially."

"As y'should, m'boy, as y'should." Rahier kicks out the chair next to him, an equally undersized chair, doubtlessly dragged down here to aid in Keita's ministrations on the cellar. "Siddown," he instructs, pulling another bottle from the rack nearby, and setting it on the table surface. "Ave a drink wi me, eh?" He drapes his arm down the back of his chair, drinking again. "Surely, that's not all that's -botherin'- ya. Seems silly t'me.."

Yes, it is all that's bothering me, major. "Ah, you read me like a book, sah." Darklett sits himself down and glances at the bottle. "To tell you the truth," the buck opens the bottle slowly, "I just don't think I've been fraternizing with the other members of the patrol nearly enough, and I'd like to start doing so more often." A light sip is allowed through the buck's lips.

"S'what I do best," Rahier chimes, which really isn't true at all, of course. He watches, approvingly, as Darklett sips from the bottle. "Oh... really? Fraternize?" The grin that splits the buck's lips is wide, and nearly catlike.

Darklett lowers one eyebrow, a bit suspicious. "Yes... sah?" He grabs the bottle again and takes a bit heftier gulp. "That's what I'm saying." He remembers what happened last time he got drunk as he takes yet another drink from the bottle. Peer pressure. :)

"With who, y'think?" Rahier continues to sip, half-lidded eyes on the other buck. "I seen ya... fraternizin' wi' that squirrelmaid. What's her face. Y'know." The buck grins again, placing his elbow on the table.

Darklett takes another -huge- gulp from the bottle, placing it gently back on the table. "Mm. Y'mean Snowflower? Yeh, she's friendly." He fails to keep himself from slurring his words. "But she's got a fiance, an'all..."

"Weeell. Ain't that jus' too bad?" Rahier asks, using the claw of his index finger to trace a slow circle on the surface of the table. "Y'don't have a doe, d'you? Fancy anyone?" He tilts his head to the side, looking from the table to the buck.

Darklett leans back hard against the back of his seat, throwing back the bottle again... Acting -way- more drunk than he actually is. Very strategic, this hare. "Nah, can'find one. Shame, 'ndeed."

Rahier sets his own bottle on the tabletop, resting his chin on his paw. "S'a -terrible- shame," he agrees, watching the other buck, still. "Though, I can't see why that'd be so," he murmurs. "Handsome buck like y'self, y'know.."

Darklett sips from the bottle before nodding. He turns his head one way. "Yeh, well I look to th'left..." He turns his head the other way. "Then to th'right..." And now, he rolls his head slowly around his neck. "An'all round, can seem t'find one... Say, sah... Rahier." Sip, gulp. "Ain't ah seen ya 'round wit'a doe of y'own?"

There's a flicker of annoyance across Rahier's features, but it's quickly gone. Or, forgotten. One of the two. And, obviously, decides to make a joke of this, as well. "O' course. Which one?" He turns his head to the side, snickering briefly. "I turn m'own head round, an they're all over. No respite," he intones, gloomily. XD

Darklett's face turns a half-smile as he leans forward. "Then -you...-" He places his paw on the table, pointing at Rahier. "...are a luckier hare th'n I." Another long drink from the bottle, and the buck's face finds itself planted upon the table. "'ow d'you do it? Y'could 'ave any doe y'wanted, but me..." He points his paws at himself. "Me... I can't fin' a one."

"Aww. 'Tis certainly nowt t'despair about, Dark'." The major reaches with his paw, to pat, or.. pet, at the darker buck's headfur as he rests against the table. "'Tisn't as good a life as one migh' think," nods Rahier, drunkenly solemn.

Darklett lifts his head up, left eye half shut. "What 'bout th'librar... libraariiian...? Sh'seems nice 'nough. Think I gotta chance wit'er?"

Rahier snorts, laughing quietly. "Ohh, nay, I shouldn't think so," he replies, quite lightly. "She's far outta y'league, lemme say." The buck reaches his own paw to under Darklett's chin, angling his muzzle upwards. "Now, don't mope. There's still hope f'ya, I reckon."

Darklett smiles drunkenly. "Y'think so? Gee." He leans back again, slacking against the back of his seat, tilting the bottle back again. "Guess it'll all fall inta place 'venchially." He struggles with this last word. Left eye still half shut, a goofy grin takes form on the buck's face. "Y'know wot? I think th'you're not that bad t'jus... hang out with, maja."

"Well, don't go." Because going is leaning back in your chair. Yes. "I can't reinstate ya if'n y'back there," Rahier half-grumbles, reaching to grab firm hold of the front of Darklett's tunic and draw him back over the table.

Darklett grunts in surprise as he's jerked back to the table. "Mmf? Eh." He complies. Oh yeah, that whole reinstatement thing, heh. "Y'make a good point, sah." He just now notices his left eye, and jerks it open a little, only for it to droop again. "S'wha's the verdict, maja?"

Rahier retains hold on Darklett's tunic, bringing his own muzzle close to the buck's, peering at Darklett's droopy eyes. "Don't righ'ly know," muses the major, momentarily pensive. "Lessee." With great aplomb, he dips his snout to meet Darklett's, giving the other buck a kiss.

Darklett's droopy eyes... Well, they're not so droopy anymore. "Mmf." Well, he can't talk right now, obviously, but he's -trashed,- and the major has a firm grip on his tunic. So, he just sits, slightly bewildered, waiting until it's over.

Rahier releases his hold on Darklett's tunic, drawing away from the kiss, and settling back into his own chair. He seems mildly surprised himself, but for a different reason entirely. Browquirk. "Let's consider y'reinstated, hm?" Rahier uses the table to haul himself to his feet, patting the sitting Darklett on his shoulder as he walks past, towards the kitchen. Grin-grin.

Darklett answers, still stunned. "Mmhm. Reinstated. Right." Quite the sobering experience.

And with little more reply than the shuffling of his boots, Rahier exits the cellar.