The Herons base was rowdy at night.
They all gathered together, tankards of beer in hand, drinking like there was no tomorrow. There may as well not have been to them.
Cleo continued brewing up drinks, adding input to the conversations going on around her.
Scott was up on the stage with Christian, asking questions in a hushed tone, yet somehow she could still hear the slur in his voice.
Eloise sat with Water, both singing somewhat poorly to bar songs and the made-up anthem of the Herons. Olive sat beside them, joining in every now and then but mostly just working on tuning their instrument.
Owen sat at one of the tables, head in his hands. He let out a low groan, eyes fluttering shut.
"Guys? I think someone needs to take Owen to bed." Cleo called out.
"Really? Already?" Olive asked. "We've only had...had..." Olive's eyes began to droop. They downed another drink. "We've only had, like, five drinks."
Water shrugged. "I can take him. Be back soon!" Water stood up, staggering a little, then approached Owen. "C'mon, let's go. You've had enough for tonight."
Owen only groaned weakly in protest.
Once Water had carried Owen out of the tavern, Cleo glanced over at Scott. He was still talking to Christian, and was gesticulating madly.
Olive and Eloise seemed distracted enough. They wouldn't mind if the next round of drinks didn't come for a bit.
Cleo carefully walked up to Scott, then paused a little behind him.
"What do I do? I- is there anything I can...do for him? I mean, we've just started talk...talking to each other again!"
Christian merely shrugged in response. "I am not sure. For now, give him some space and a little time. Eventually things between you will get easier."
Scott's ears flushed. "I don't have time to wait that long! What if one of us goes out on an expedition and never comes back? I may never get to see him again in time, and I don't want thing to be tense between us if and when that happens!" His voice rose in pitch and volume.
For a brief second, Eloise and Olive glanced his way. Then the two of them slowly turned back to each other and their drinks.
Cleo set her hand on Scott's shoulder. He spun around and grasped at the handle of his rapier, then let go when he saw it was her. "I think you should sit down now Scott. Give Christian a break."
He nodded meekly. "Yeah. Yeah, sure." Scott allowed Cleo to lead him to a seat at a table, then push him into it.
"Is it about Acho?"
Scott hesitated, then nodded. "I just...I just don't know what to do."
"Think about it in the morning. You're not thinking clearly right now. When you're sober, think about it then. For now, you can either keep drinking and drown your sorrows in alcohol, or you can take a rest like Owen. No shame in either option."
"Alcohol. Strong alcohol." He didn't stutter, and his voice was almost completely free of a slurred tone. Almost as if he hadn't had more drinks than most of the other Herons already.
"Sure?"
"Yes. I want you to give me so much alcohol that I can barely move around tomorrow. No, for the rest of the week."
Cleo sighed. It wasn't a good idea, but they were pirates.
Since when was anything they did a 'good idea'?
Olive let out a startled yelp, then a joyful squeal. "Cruppy! Hello!" Cruppy jumped at Olive's heels, rubbing against them and jumping like a puppy would. Olive bent down and stroked Cruppy, to which the crab-puppy-thing eagerly jumped into their lap for stroking convenience.
Smiling at the sight, Eloise was suddenly motivated to sing even louder and more joyfully than before. Olive joined in with equal vigour and Cruppy nestled in their lap peacefully.
Cleo shook her head with a warm grin, then grabbed the next round of drinks.
"To us!" She declared, holding her tankard tight and pushing it high into the air.
"To us!" The others parroted, with varying levels of volume and enthusiasm. Regardless, the sound could be heard well beyond the Herons' base and echoed through the town.
Water returned, arms free of Owen, and shouted, "To us!" at the top of her lungs. A delayed reaction, but a welcome one.
For the rest of the night, they all chanted the same thing over and over, falling asleep in the tavern.
They all regretted it in the morning.
But Herons weren't lightweights, and for some strange reason, they all wished to prove it.