23rd Bell
40th of Summer
501 AV
40th of Summer
501 AV
"Sit... up, Hads."
Brody Skellig lifted a dark curl obscuring the girl's eye as he leaned toward her face. Brow furrowed the young man stared at the slumped over form of his sister, trying to assess her state with a semi-serious scowl. A soft groan issued forth from her lips as she scrunched her eyelids tightly. A triumphant nod from Brody resulted in the sound of boots pacing directly behind him.
"You shouldn't've let her have that much!" Ioan murmured nervously, pausing to place a hand on Hadyn's back. She was seat in a chair, most of her upper body sprawled across the table and her cheek flush with the rough wood. Several empty mugs littered the table where the trio spent most of the evening, culminating in a nearly passed out sister drooling on the table.
"Shut up - she's fine!"
"She won't be fine when Liam sees her. We won't be fine!"
"Would y'quit bein' a stick in the petchin' mud and help me?" Brody growled, moving his sister's body away from the table. With a grunt of disapproval Ioan jumped to assist, managing between the two of them to pull their sister from the chair, an arm around each of their necks. The girl's head dipped forward but her legs held out, keeping her upright. Grasping her hand Brody shot his brother a smirk.
"See?"
"We haven't even gotten her out of the bar."
Ignoring Ioan the youngest Skellig boy began moving toward the door, the middle brother having no choice but to go with him, the girl's weight between them hardly the worst thing they'd carried. But she wasn't doing much to help, feet dragging along the ground as she muttered to herself. The boys paid her no mind, instead trying to direct the trio's various limbs around tables and chairs. The few patrons still enjoying their drinks sniggered to themselves, which Brody had no qualms sharing much to the chagrin of his older brother. The butcher was out of his seat first and reaching for the door, giving the younger man a disapproving shake of his head.
"Startin' her a bit young, aren't you, Brody?"
"Nah," the young man replied with a toss of his head, readjusting his sister's arm around his neck as they maneuvered her through the door. "I was younger than fourteen when they started pourin' this shyke down m'throat."
"I wouldn't brag about that," Ioan grumbled as he struggled to maintain his balance through the narrow door frame. The door shut firmly behind them as the brothers paused in the stone vestibule. Hadyn, head down, was still making noises though it sounded more akin to cooing that speaking. With an irritated glance Ioan began walking, his sister's impaired steps hindering their advancement.
"You ought to be proud of her," Brody stated at length as they walked the girl down the street. His blue eyed brother chose to ignore this comment, instead giving Hadyn a gentle nudge in the ribs as they slowed. Her head raised, inebriated eyes glazed over as she looked up at the torchlight. A smile pulled lazily at her lips, eyelids blinking in the golden fog.
"That's a girl, Haddie. How y'feel?"
The girl turned her attention to the brother closest to her in age, his nineteen year old face materializing hazily. A lopsided smile disappeared as she tried to nod and speak at the same time, causing her balance to sway. Brody laughed as he righted her, disregarding Ioan's eye-roll and sudden hmph of breath caused by the sudden change in weight and balance.
"I shoush bought chickens," Hadyn informed her brothers with another grin. "Their feathersh. They have so many feath-feathers. Would you... take me to the gooseses."
Again her head dropped and she began speaking to herself once more, though the occasional word was said loud enough for Ioan and Brody to catch. With a smirk the youngest brother gripped her wrist to secure her arm around his neck. Ioan did the same and they were off again, though their pace was sorely hindered by a severely impaired teenager. Tossing his head to knock the dark hair from his eyes Ioan merely frowned. Brody was impetuous and reckless - stupid, really. Getting their sister so hammered she could barely walk was not Ioan's idea of a good time. Especially when he knew what was waiting for them when they got her home. Just the thought of Liam's face and harsh criticism was enough to make him wince.
"Oh come on," Brody put in upon hearing his brother's dramatics. "We've all been there."
"She's still a child, you idiot."
"Better she find out what it's like when we're around. Would you rather some dipshyke squire or apprentice give Haddie her first taste of booze?"
"Of course not!"
"She's safe with us."
"She's going to hate us tomorrow."
"Nah. She'll be alright."
"Brody, you never think this shyke through. It's always about your enjoyment."
"Me? How's this about me?!"
"You're laughin' because she's drunk. But Haddie won't be laughin'. Neither will - "
"For petch sake, you horse's arse. You never have any fun. Gods. Between you and Liam it's like livin' with a pair of damn priests. No fun. Ever. It's like havin' another set of parents. That what you want? you want to go down to the orphanage an' pick yourself out a couple of kids to raise like a mother hen?"
"What? no!"
"Then stop being a little bitch. Hadyn's is fine. You're fine. Liam will understand."
"Liam will understand what?"
Both brothers froze so embroiled in their banter they barely realized the stood on the threshold of the apartment Hadyn shared with the patriarch of their family. Standing in the entrance to the chambers, back lit by candles, stood the impressively displeased Liam Skellig, arms crossed as Ioan and Brody met his eye. But he was not looking at either of them. His gaze was settled on the disturbingly drunk fourteen year old between them, still going on about chickens and geese. With a sideways twitch of his lips the eldest Skellig moved to let them in, dark eyes giving no hint of his thoughts away.
"Bring her inside before she throws up all over the doorstep."
Brody Skellig lifted a dark curl obscuring the girl's eye as he leaned toward her face. Brow furrowed the young man stared at the slumped over form of his sister, trying to assess her state with a semi-serious scowl. A soft groan issued forth from her lips as she scrunched her eyelids tightly. A triumphant nod from Brody resulted in the sound of boots pacing directly behind him.
"You shouldn't've let her have that much!" Ioan murmured nervously, pausing to place a hand on Hadyn's back. She was seat in a chair, most of her upper body sprawled across the table and her cheek flush with the rough wood. Several empty mugs littered the table where the trio spent most of the evening, culminating in a nearly passed out sister drooling on the table.
"Shut up - she's fine!"
"She won't be fine when Liam sees her. We won't be fine!"
"Would y'quit bein' a stick in the petchin' mud and help me?" Brody growled, moving his sister's body away from the table. With a grunt of disapproval Ioan jumped to assist, managing between the two of them to pull their sister from the chair, an arm around each of their necks. The girl's head dipped forward but her legs held out, keeping her upright. Grasping her hand Brody shot his brother a smirk.
"See?"
"We haven't even gotten her out of the bar."
Ignoring Ioan the youngest Skellig boy began moving toward the door, the middle brother having no choice but to go with him, the girl's weight between them hardly the worst thing they'd carried. But she wasn't doing much to help, feet dragging along the ground as she muttered to herself. The boys paid her no mind, instead trying to direct the trio's various limbs around tables and chairs. The few patrons still enjoying their drinks sniggered to themselves, which Brody had no qualms sharing much to the chagrin of his older brother. The butcher was out of his seat first and reaching for the door, giving the younger man a disapproving shake of his head.
"Startin' her a bit young, aren't you, Brody?"
"Nah," the young man replied with a toss of his head, readjusting his sister's arm around his neck as they maneuvered her through the door. "I was younger than fourteen when they started pourin' this shyke down m'throat."
"I wouldn't brag about that," Ioan grumbled as he struggled to maintain his balance through the narrow door frame. The door shut firmly behind them as the brothers paused in the stone vestibule. Hadyn, head down, was still making noises though it sounded more akin to cooing that speaking. With an irritated glance Ioan began walking, his sister's impaired steps hindering their advancement.
"You ought to be proud of her," Brody stated at length as they walked the girl down the street. His blue eyed brother chose to ignore this comment, instead giving Hadyn a gentle nudge in the ribs as they slowed. Her head raised, inebriated eyes glazed over as she looked up at the torchlight. A smile pulled lazily at her lips, eyelids blinking in the golden fog.
"That's a girl, Haddie. How y'feel?"
The girl turned her attention to the brother closest to her in age, his nineteen year old face materializing hazily. A lopsided smile disappeared as she tried to nod and speak at the same time, causing her balance to sway. Brody laughed as he righted her, disregarding Ioan's eye-roll and sudden hmph of breath caused by the sudden change in weight and balance.
"I shoush bought chickens," Hadyn informed her brothers with another grin. "Their feathersh. They have so many feath-feathers. Would you... take me to the gooseses."
Again her head dropped and she began speaking to herself once more, though the occasional word was said loud enough for Ioan and Brody to catch. With a smirk the youngest brother gripped her wrist to secure her arm around his neck. Ioan did the same and they were off again, though their pace was sorely hindered by a severely impaired teenager. Tossing his head to knock the dark hair from his eyes Ioan merely frowned. Brody was impetuous and reckless - stupid, really. Getting their sister so hammered she could barely walk was not Ioan's idea of a good time. Especially when he knew what was waiting for them when they got her home. Just the thought of Liam's face and harsh criticism was enough to make him wince.
"Oh come on," Brody put in upon hearing his brother's dramatics. "We've all been there."
"She's still a child, you idiot."
"Better she find out what it's like when we're around. Would you rather some dipshyke squire or apprentice give Haddie her first taste of booze?"
"Of course not!"
"She's safe with us."
"She's going to hate us tomorrow."
"Nah. She'll be alright."
"Brody, you never think this shyke through. It's always about your enjoyment."
"Me? How's this about me?!"
"You're laughin' because she's drunk. But Haddie won't be laughin'. Neither will - "
"For petch sake, you horse's arse. You never have any fun. Gods. Between you and Liam it's like livin' with a pair of damn priests. No fun. Ever. It's like havin' another set of parents. That what you want? you want to go down to the orphanage an' pick yourself out a couple of kids to raise like a mother hen?"
"What? no!"
"Then stop being a little bitch. Hadyn's is fine. You're fine. Liam will understand."
"Liam will understand what?"
Both brothers froze so embroiled in their banter they barely realized the stood on the threshold of the apartment Hadyn shared with the patriarch of their family. Standing in the entrance to the chambers, back lit by candles, stood the impressively displeased Liam Skellig, arms crossed as Ioan and Brody met his eye. But he was not looking at either of them. His gaze was settled on the disturbingly drunk fourteen year old between them, still going on about chickens and geese. With a sideways twitch of his lips the eldest Skellig moved to let them in, dark eyes giving no hint of his thoughts away.
"Bring her inside before she throws up all over the doorstep."
