Slow Hands [Tag Hazel]

[Allan A Dale]

Another day, another waste of time, Allan thought to himself as he lurked around the back of a fence, watching another Nettlestone family come out of their homes and look around in glee, hoping to find Robin waiting for them and waving, but always ending up a little disappointed as they could find no one to thank. It was drop off day at Nettlestone, and Allan had volunteered for duty alone just to get away from the silence that seemed to have descended upon the camp once more. What was going on there, anyway? Once again everyone seemed to stop communicating (except Much, who seemed to be nagging him more than ever), and it was really starting to irritate him. And as much as he loved visiting Kate (even more so now they were... well, he didn't know what to call them, but it was fun!), he did need some variety in his life and talking to the same two people all the time was getting annoying. He thought that he'd be a bit safer, wandering around Nettlestone, a place he'd never had much to do with as part of Robin's gang or when he'd been working for Guy.

Now that his job was done, though (and it only ever took a few minutes when they got to their destination, which kind of sucked as far as Allan was concerned), he had bugger all to do and he didn't really feel like going back to camp. He still had a little bit of his own coin available to him (guilt having been sated a good few days before), and he decided a trip to the pub was in order. It was a much more sensible move than the last time he'd decided to go to a pub – almost no chance of bumping into Guy this time, and every chance of having a perfectly pleasant time. Who knows, maybe there would even be someone fairly good looking to chat with. He always liked talking to new people...

The pub wasn't particularly busy – it was still a little early in the day for the types who drank heavily and stayed late – which made Allan feel a little bit uncomfortable, but looking back outside told him that the grey clouds overhead that had been threatening to unleash a shed load of water upon the villagers had finally burst, and a heavy rain was pummeling the ground outside, causing the roof to sound like a drum as the water crashed into it. He shrugged to himself. At least now he had a good excuse to stay here for a while, and maybe he could use it to get Much off his back if he turned back up at camp drunk.

Walking up the bar, he leant over it and gave the bartender a cheeky grin. ”A pint o' your finest, mate.”

[hazel]

Hazel was sat in the corner of the pub, on a comfortable window seat, with a large cup of ale. By this time, she was on her second and feeling slightly tipsy and happy. As a rule the brunette didn't drink, but this was a different day and a whole new situation. Hazel had been evicted from her home in Nettlestone. And the girl didn't fancy re-living the cause for it, but knew too well it was her own fault. So, with some stumbling and general swaying she made her way over to the bar. The last of her money was going onto drink and the chances were by the next morning she'd be a pauper. It didn't matter though, only forgetting, a job she was only too effiecient at.

"Another please keep." Hazel said, a slight giggle in her voice as she was still swaying marginally, but tried her best to maintain both composure and balance. There were a couple faces that had entered the pub that she didn't know, but then again Hazel was familiar with too many people that came from around her as she was an outsider. One day her luck would turn around, it was all she was after, just some luck. Why did she keep having to get the dirty end of the brush.

[Allan A Dale]

Having received his pint, and sipping it rather slowly (he shouldn't go back to camp utterly drunk, and he hadn't eaten anything yet, so the alcohol was more likely to go to his head if he drank it as quickly as he usually did), Allan leaned against the bar and considered having a chat with the barkeeper. He seemed like a friendly sort, and it was always good to make friends with innkeepers – they always knew the real gossip, what was really going on in the world, and while nothing ever really happened in Nettlestone, he might still find out some interesting tidbits from passersby.

Unfortunately for that plan, a young woman had come up to the bar and asked for another drink, and Allan's attention drifted to her. She was fairly pretty, although he couldn't help but notice she was at least a little bit tipsy. No one sober swayed on their feet unless there was something wrong with them, and her cheeks were ever so slightly flushed, as if it was too warm in the room (which it really wasn't). He couldn't help himself, and he spoke before he realised he was even thinking about doing anything.

”Lemme pay for that one,” he said to her, handing some money over the counter to the barkeeper before the young woman had a chance to respond, and smiling as charmingly as he could. ”Nice girl like you can't be paying for your own drinks!”

[hazel]

Hazel watched as she received her drink then turned to face the man who had offered to buy it. Looking at him she didn't have a clue who he was or what he wanted. "Hi." The brunette said with a smile, carefully going over to him, trying to control the swaying and not succeeding, but not falling over or into anyone. "Thanks." There wasn't too much of a slur to her words, but she was a light weight and knew somehow that she was ever so slightly tipsy.

"Who are you?" Normally Hazel would've been more politer in asking this question, but she'd been drinking and all her inhibitions had gone out of the window. At least he was some company and it stopped her drinking alone, which was always fatal for anyone. Then again talking to total strangers wasn't exactly the safest thing to do when drunk. But he seemed happy enough smiling at her, and he was very cute looking. Or perhaps that was the ale doing the thinking for her.