Shadow of a greater Shadow

[Firestripe]

*Even though Firestripe knew that this was Scarlet in front of him, his drunken mind couldn't comphrehend what his eyes were telling him. He tried to get up from the table quickly in fear but couldn't stay on his feet and fell then reserting to crawling backwards away from Scarlet.* "No... no... you can't be alive... no..." *His back hit the bar and he was unable to back up anymore. Tears were now streaming down his face, he wished that he wasn't so drunk so that he could make sense of what was going on. His mind wasn't ready for this jolt to his system.*[/font]

OOC: Sorry for the shortnes, it's very rushed...

[Scarlet]

Scarlet felt tears welling up in her eyes at the sight of Firestripe drunk, emaciated, and clearly confused and somewhat frightened at the sight of her. She moved around the table, and tried to calm his nerves.
" It's okay, it's me, it's really me." She said, tears streaming down her face. It was all she could do not to fall to her knees weeping. By now the entire tavern was watching, the silence heavy in the air. Some cruel hearted creatures snickered, while most were touched by the heart-breaking scene.

[Firestripe]

"But... but how are you here? How are you... how are you alive?" *Firestripe's muddled mind still couldn't wrap itself around the fact that Scarlet was here, in front of him, alive. He reached a paw up to her face wanting to place it on her cheek but was scared to. He feared that if he should try to do so she would disappear and become nothing more than a figment of his imagination, an imagination that wished and longed for that which he had held dearest to his heart and that which he had thought to have been destroyed in fire and smoke and the crashing waves of the relentless sea. Suddenly he was back on that cliff overlooking that windswept port that had held his love and he was forced to watch again, unable to move, as his heart erupted into an agonizingly terrible blossom of fire, one that could break the strongest of beasts, one that could break him. He cried once again as he had that day, unleashing all his misery and self-hate for his powerlessness to stop that which had never happened. He had become a pathetic beast and now that he saw that his heart might not have been destroyed, he hated himself even more for becoming as low as he had. Becoming nothing more than a drunken wreck instead of searching for those that had caused his torment. He was disgusted with himself.*[/font]

OOC: Not really long but I think my best piece of writing yet, either that or my most epic failure! lol

[Scarlet]

Scarlet had an overwhelming mixture of emotions stirring up inside of her. Anger, confusion and happiness all swirled together, and she didn't know what to do. Firestripe, his face a mask of fear and confusion, lifted up a paw as if to touch Scarlet's face. Scarlet wanted him dearly to do so, to realize that she was still there so that his fear could be banished. She was not surprised when he did not. She would probably have done the same thing if the situation were reversed, as she could just imagine his reasons for lowering his paw and not allowing, not wanting to touch the face of what he thought could be a figment of his imagination.

Scarlet was not in the least prepared for what was next to come. As the tears started to fall from Firestripe's eyes, Scarlet snapped immediatly into action. She knelt down beside him, embracing him gently, trying to calm and comfort him. It was an immense shock to see Firestripe in such a poor emotional state, letting his grief escape in the form of salty tears that much reminded her of the sea. She felt tears of her own stinging her eyes as she said " Firestripe, it's okay, it's really me. See," She put a paw up to his face in an attempt to wipe away the tears that formed wet tracks down his face, and varify the fact that she was alive. His form in her embrace seemed even thinner than what she had thought from looking at him; His matted, dirty and sheen-less black fur was coarse beneath her paws, and all anger inside of her had subsided, replaced only with a joy and desperation at seeing Firestripe in such a state.

[Firestripe]

*Scarlet's embrace snapped Firestripe's mind back into reality. Somehow, someway, this was Scarlet holding him and wiping away his tears, this was Scarlet and she was alive. He couldn't believe that he had let himself waste away to nothing while the one he loved was somewhere waiting for him, wondering where he was. He couldn't believe he was so pathetic.* "I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'm sorry..." *He repeated over and over again. He had let her down, caused her who knows how much pain and grief while he had drowned himself in a mug and sat around feeling sorry for himself. He wanted to do nothing more than make it all up to Scarlet, he didn't know how exactly he was supposed to do that but he'd figure it out. In the mean time he wanted to get back to the life he once had, being the protective shadow of the notorious captian of the finest ship on the ocean. He just wanted everything to go back to normal again.*[/font]

[Scarlet]

Scarlet's salty tears fell nearly silently to the rough wooden floor boards of the tavern. " It's okay, it's okay." She whispered to Firestripe as he was apologizing over and over again for something Scarlet didn't know about. She wanted dearly for things to go back the way they used to be, but she knew that that would never be able to happen. She loved Firestripe, but the memory of his supposed desertion would never leave, and Scarlet needed to know the full story.
" Firestripe, I think it'd be best if we got out of here." She whispered. Indeed, a few of the closest tavern customers were watching with much interest at the going's on at the far end of the bar. The rest had, thankfully, chosen to ignore them, so Scarlet and Firestripe's reputations would stay, for the most part, intact.

[Firestripe]

"O- ok?" *Came a shaky reply that seemed more of a question. Firestripe was still quite drunk, despite his emotional outburst, and was having a hard time making sense of things. He didn't realize that there were beasts staring and he didn't realize that he should care that there were beasts staring. He couldn't think straight, though he desperately tried to, he tried to think of some way to make things go back to the way that they had once been but seeing as how in a non-drunk form he would have had a hard time finding an answer, it was nigh impossible at this point. Scarlet was wanting to get out of there, he knew that, and she wanted to take him along with her though how she could take him back after all this was beyond his comprehension. Even so, it would surely be interesting getting out of there, what with him having fallen over just from standing up earlier. Firestripe looked into Scarlet's eyes again as his tears started to dry, he couldn't make out what he saw there, it was such a mix of emotions. Even in her confusion, though, Scarlet still wanted him back. I don't deserve her... Firestripe thought bitterly to himself.*[/font]

[Scarlet]

Scarlet sets her jaw firm, wiping the tears from her cheeks with one paw. She couldn't afford for anyone else, besides those who had already seen her cry, see her crying; It would damage her high reputation, a thing which she cared for dearly. With her face set in a new, fierce and angry look, she would seem to be a harsh captain dragging the drunken figure of her crewmember from the depths of the tavern, only to scold and punish him back on her ship.

Her strong arms easily lifted the emaciated form of Firestripe to his feet, and, wrapping an arm around his waist, she tried to get him to half-walk out the door. " Come'on, get up ya dog!" She said angrily, trying to save face in front of the rest of the tavern. She gave Firestripe a quick wink at this, hoping he would catch on.

[Firestripe]

*This new look that was pasted across Scarlet's face as she hoisted Firestripe to his feet and started pulling him out of the tavern scared this pathetic beast. He was far to drunk to notice such a small disclaimer as a wink to relay her intentions so he continued on as best he could in silence, feeling tense about what was to come for he thought that Scarlet was certainly mad at him and she had every right to be. The look on her face had been one that she used often as a pirate captain, but never had it been used towards him. He had always been loyal and willing to do whatever was needed on the Nightpearl, which is why he had ended up first-mate, and as far as Firestripe could remember, Scarlet had never needed to reprimand him in such a way before for that look usually meant that trouble, big trouble, was coming for the one it was directed at.[/font]

[Scarlet]

Scarlet caught the fright in Firestripe's eyes and knew at once that he was far to immersed in the heavy effects of liquor to realize that she was putting on to save her reputation. She thought for a moment, before deciding that saving face was more important than reassuring Firestripe's hazed mind of how she was not angry with him.... At least, not angry enough to give him that look of pure anger and hate.

She further hardened her features, and practically drug Firestripe from the tavern. Many of the passing vermin watched the curious scene for a second, before Scarlet's stone-cold gaze made them hastily avert their eyes. She would have to explain to Firestripe after the effects of the ale had worn off, which would most likely be late into the next morning, he was so drunk. The dead weight of his thin body threatened to bring them both down to the muddy street, but Scarlet was determined to keep Firestripe's body from collapsing.