Closed [Rearing Stallion] Dove In The Drink (Dovey)

[Garland]

Garland pressed on, following Dovey's vague directions. as she began going on about the aesthetic and design of Syliras. Garland wasn't much of a visionary when it comes to designs or anything creative like that.

The walls were drab, brown and mostly smooth, it was just boring. He could see the reason behind them, the walls needed to be strong, not pretty, still they could at least paint some sort of mural or something.

Garland had lived in Syliras his whole life, so he had no other place to compare it with. "It's safe, but watching grass grow is more exciting than the architecture." Garland said before he thought better than to argue with a drunk lady. "Yeah, it's really dumb!"

Garland just followed Dovey, not really doing anything but keeping an eye out.

Eventually the two of them made it to what they assume is Dovey's house. Garland waited for Dovey to unlock the door, he opened the door to and let Dovey walk in first.

The drunk man waited outside for Dovey to invite him in.

[Dovey]

Dovey led Garland down the corridors, eventually coming to an intersection that seemed at least vaguely familiar. "Think it's around here," she said, and stood still for a moment, lost in thought. How to find her own door? They had, they had, yes, they had numbers on them, and hers looked funny, like a ram. Armed with the hazy recollection, she marched past several doors marked with less interesting numbers before halting in front of one labeled 607. "I think I actually found it!" she said, beaming once again with excitement. "See, it's like a ram, it's got a curly horn and a leg and a fat belly, see? That's how I remembered it." She dug a hand into the flimsy pocket of her dress, grasping for her key. "Now, we've got to be veery quiet," she murmured, fumbling at the lock. "And you have to leave, because Mother'll be asleep and I don't want her to - " Oh gods, Mother died. The realization cracked straight across her ale-fogged brain, and at the same instant the lock on her door clicked open. She stumbled back several steps, trying automatically to bury the thought as she had been doing since early that evening, but this time her efforts did no good; the grief was too strong, and she was too hobbled by alcohol to push back. Shudders or spasms racked her frame, each starting low in her stomach and then traveling up her torso to the base of her throat, so that for a few ticks she thought she was vomiting again. No, nononono no, I can't, I can't... She pawed at her stomach confusedly, as if she could shove the pain down into submission. Only then did she notice that Garland had opened the door for her. She bulled through, clutching her belly with one hand as if her guts were spilling. Stumbling across the murky room she threw herself belly-down onto the bed, coughed, choked, and began to cry.

[Garland]

Garland let Dovey rush pass him into her home, he paused, there was something distressing her, that was obvious and you don't have to be sober to notice that.

Garland followed in and closed the door behind him in. This was oddly sobering, Garland felt around the dark room, finding a candle, he took a deep breath and a blue mist formed around his other hand and he cupped the tip of the candle.

Garland willed the mist to burn, and so it did, a fire lit the candle and Garland walked over to the fireplace. He did the same thing there, only on a larger scale. He felt a bit drained but the fire was worth it to keep the cold out.

Garland placed the candle on the table of the room and sat beside Dovey, who was crying her eyes out. He placed his hand on her shoulder, a comforting gesture. "Let it out... I'm here for you."

Garland was not about to pry into someone else's business, especially since he was drunk. He just sat there, patting Dovey's back. It took a little while to piece together the information, she mentioned her mother and by the looks of it, she was alone. It could have meant she was out on town like they were, or that she left here, but it was most likely she died only recently.

Garland didn't know what to say, he had never met his parents or lost someone truly special to him like this before. "I'm sorry. If you need anything from me, anything at all, I'll be right here."

[Dovey]

Dovey shook, curled up in the firelight with her knees beneath her chest, pressing her back into Garland's comforting hand. "Gods, gods..." She bit down on her lip, so hard she thought it might have bruised. "Oh gods..." She didn't know whether or not she was praying; the word was simply the only thing she could think to say. She glanced up, over her shoulder at Garland. "I didn't forget, did I?" She was slurring now through both ale and tears. "I thought I forgot, but I didn't really, right? Right, Garland?" She turned back to stare at the mattress beneath her, shook her head darkly. "Petch. Petch, petch, petch, petch, petch, petch, petch, petch, petch." She sobbed again, violently. "I'm sorry," Garland said from behind her, his voice oddly muted in her ears. "If you need anything from me, anything at all, I'll be right here." "I thought - " Her voice was thick, gritty. She coughed and spoke again, though not much had been improved. "I thought 'f I held it off long enough it'd go away and not come back. Thought - oh, PETCH it!" She wormed a hand out from underneath her body and punched the mattress. It helped less than she had hoped it would. She punched again, and again, then stopped, shoulder trembling. "Oh gods, this's stupid, what good does it do? She's still - I just - plenty of people - she's - " Dovey fluttered a hand in the air as if the gesture could capture the words she couldn't find. "F'ra tick I thought she'd be here." She glanced up at Garland again, anxiously this time. "Doesn't mean I forgot what happened, right? Just means I, mm... didn't remember." She fell silent then except for crying, her body racked with all the messy grief she'd been bottling up until that moment. Garland was still patting her back; she didn't notice when he stopped, nor when she rolled over onto her side and loosened her grip on her knees, but after some uncertain time she had slipped into a heavy slumber.

[Samuel Longwell]

Grading Complete Please edit your grade request thread so that it's obvious that it's been graded. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions/problems with your grade. Name: Garland XP Award: Endurance 1 Flirting 5 Acting 1 Storytelling 2 Dancing 2 Rhetoric 2 Reimancy 1 Lore: Dovey: Looks like she works hard Dovey: Cute and strong Flirting: When in doubt be cheesy Dovey: From Kenash Morwen: Where is she? Guiding Dovey home Dovey: Did her Mother die? Rewards: Please subtract 5SM from your ledger Name: Dovey XP Award: Observation 5 Socialisation 5 Flirting 5 Dancing 2 Rhetoric 1 Lore: Location: The Rearing Stallion Garland: Not bad looking Garland: Full of compliments Morwen: Where is she? Garland: Ridiculous Dancer Trying to get home while drunk is no easy matter What kind of room has no windows? Self: How could I have forgotten? Notes: A good thread, enjoyable to read. I almost burst out laughing when I read your descriptions of how you were both dancing! I hope you enjoy your grades!