Drunk and Orderly [Open]

[Old Gobbo]

Amherst tried to be a good Card, truly he did. And most times, he was. He bled himself to cleanse himself of shame, even without the magic cut. He acted as a proper Guardian and protected his charges. He gave selflessly and without thought for himself. And, even this very day, he offered to be a character witness for a Card he had just met.

But there were limits to his kindness. Eventually, the other side of the Guardian kicked in. The side that said that public drunkenness was a disgrace. The side that said that one should find solutions for his problems instead of wallowing. The side that almost found it insulting that a Card's first reaction to help was to simply give up.

"Sir, I believe it is quite clear that the drink has impaired your senses and your judgment. I believe I can offer a second suggestion to help your cause." And, with that, he reached out to grab the Card by the scruff around its neck.

((If you would like Amherst to be successful, Jaryn, he will merely pick up Binx and carry him outside. There, he will dump him into the nearby water trough. However, if you want Binx to avoid the grab, he can.))

[Lucca]

Molly made a sad noise in the back of her throat as Marsallo said his stomach hurt, too. "Oh dear...oh dear. Uh, we should go somewhere then, and find something...something light and easy to eat..." Her head twitched nervously from side to side, as if she were looking for instructions. Perhaps she was. This situation was becoming very odd to deal with. The only seriously drunk Card she'd been around in the past was her own mother, and that was quite a different experience. She watched as the barman set down the appetizer that Amherst had ordered earlier...oh, but that didn't look like the sort of snack the Mouse needed at all!

"I might know a place we can go...yes. We should leave. Come on." She was about to offer Marsallo her shoulder to lean on as they departed the bar (and good riddance!) when she glanced at Amherst to see if he was coming and...saw a look in the other Card's eyes that made her heart race.

She paused as he spoke, and then rushed forward towards Marsallo with unknown intentions. Molly clucked in surprise and backed up a few paces until her back was against the bar.

[Jaryn Frostwing]

"Wait what?" that was pretty much all the drunken mouse could get out before he'd been scooped up by the scruff of his neck and hauled out the door. Splash. Floundering and shouting, Marsallo splashed about, something about something, it was hard to make out what he was saying. When he finally did manage to get out of the trough and into a wet, messy heap on the ground he began to claw his way back toward the bar frantically.

"must... pay... tab! my tab!" he repeated over and over again with the zeal for balancing out a minor debt that only an accountant could have. "The balance! itsh due when services are rendered!!"

This was true. On the other hand, at least he was focused on doing something productive and not on further drinking or wallowing in self pity. Right?
((Sorry for the slow response, just started a new job this past couple days and it took a lot out of me lol))

[Old Gobbo]

Amherst was glad that the drink had seemed to put a bit of sobriety into the mouse. But he couldn't let the mouse back into the bar that soaking wet. That, and he owed the mouse a bit after what he did.

Amherst lay a wing on the card and said, "you can't go back in like that. You'll get water all over their floor."

He opened the door and spotted Molly. He tossed her a silver piece, easily the cost and more of a beer and some appetizers. "Pay our tab, and let's get some real food."

He let the door swing shut and he sat on the porch, awaiting the chicken to pay up. "I'm sorry to do that. But your drunkenness was upsetting the lady and you weren't thinking clearly. I swear to you that I will never lay a hand on you like that again, taking advantage of your slow reflexes."

[Lucca]

Molly could only stare, dark eyes wide, as Amherst carried the Mouse out of the bar and dunked him into a water trough. That was...well...she couldn't quite find words for it, and she made a worried noise in the back of her throat as she tried to get over what had just happened. She felt mingled awe and fear towards Amherst, now. Power lay behind those pretty feathers, and not merely physical power, no...but a sort of inner confidence that Molly herself was always a bit lacking in.

She had barely moved from her spot by the time the Avian opened the door and threw her a silver coin. She floundered a bit, but managed to catch it and hand it to the barkeep. "Sir, I'm sorry about that," she told him, with a bit of a smile. "Keep the change." She was sure that was what Amherst would have wanted, anyway. He was so noble and wise~

With a small, relieved cluck, Molly made her way out of the bar and over to the other two. "Are you feeling better now, Marsallo?" she asked him, fussing a bit with his wet hair. "We need to find something to dry you off with..." Reluctantly, her wings went to the scarf around her neck...she didn't want to remove it, but if there was nothing else available...

[Jaryn Frostwing]

Marsallo sighed heavily, then set to wringing the water from his fur. He knew Amherst was right. Already he was beginning to feel embarassed for how ridiculous he'd been acting. He knew he'd been pushed there, sort of, by the frustrating events of the past few weeks. Not a good excuse though. How would his few loyal, paying clients react to this? Not well he imagined.

"It's quite alright," he said at length. "Please forgive my.... weakness," he said, settling on the word. He stepped away from the other two and vigorously shook the excess water from his fur.

"I feel much better now, much less... foggy. So... was there some place you two would rather be than this... establishment?" he asked, looking up at the two avians, he marveled at their patience with him.

[Old Gobbo]

Out in the clear air, Amherst suddenly felt a lot better. Perhaps it was the smoke in Furgus', or maybe just the general atmosphere. Either way, Amherst was glad he had left, especially now that he had two other cards in tow. Amherst chuckled at the mouse. "There are few places better than Furgus' to drown your sorrows. However, if we want a good meal and, if I may suggest, a pot of coffee, then there's a good cafe a block or two east of here."

He bounded up the steps and bent low. From any vantage point, it was hard to tell whether the bird was bowing or almost slipped. Either way, he cupped one of Molly's wings in his own. "For paying the tab, I thank you." This time, it was quite clearly a bow. "You said that you know a place to go. Where might you suggest?"

[Lucca]

Well, the Mouse seemed content to wring the water from his own fur, though Molly fussed with the scarf for a few more minutes, afraid that the poor dear might catch a cold if he went walking down the street all damp like that. Eventually she forced her wings away from the cloth, deciding that unless he asked for it, she'd rather keep covered. Though guilt nagged at her for this thought even as she bobbed her head to the Mouse. In fact, there were quite a number of places she'd rather be than a bar!

Of course, she was torn completely out of her thoughts as Amherst grabbed her wing with his own, and she noticed the odd sensation of small fingers on his wing. That explained how he could hold a weapon so well! "Oh!" Taken aback by the gentlemanly gesture, a slight flush rose to Moll's cheeks, visible beneath her white feathers. "It...it was nothing, Mr. Amherst, please," she cooed, and then he asked her for her own opinion. Right. A place to go. She caught his eyes, glinting gallantly and looking right at -her-, and her heart skipped a few beats. "Well...there's...a nice little cafe, just over down that street. They have a few things light enough to settle the poor Mouse's stomach," she said, starting off a little unsure of her words but picking up confidence as she spoke further. She desperately hoped Amherst couldn't hear her heart beating so fast, but she was sure that he could, it sounded so loud to her own ears.