Lurking @ the Stables (Shazza Only)

[Cooper Ballion]

It was early evening and the moon was full. As a matter of fact the moon seemed to fill the sky completely on this evening. Just to look up at it seemed to take the commanders breath away but it also gave him comfort and the peace of mind that he needed to think. There were so many things happening in his life right now. The Fort was beginning to have a great influx of new beasts and the activity of his new command was a bee-hive of activity. Not to mention all of the internal things that the male otter had to deal with. He Needed this time to think, to ponder and to put things into perspective.

Cooper loved being at the Stable, especially when he could be alone there. The animals seemed more understanding then the beasts that he came into contact with from day to day, not that he really talked to them. Really he had no friends and so this left him with no other English speaking creature to communicate with. At times he felt as though he would lose his mind but he was never that lucky. No he was forced to deal with his problems, his thoughts that abused his brain and taunted him until he had to get drunk.

The brute of a male finished brushing his horse and moved over to the place where he usually kept his 'stash', that being more then a dozen bottled of assorted wines, very fine wines, the kind that didn't leave you with a smashing headache in the morning. Coop popped the cork to one bottle and proceeded to drink from the bottle itself. He sat on the nearest hay bale and began to ponder the recent events, but mostly of the female that went by the name of Shazza Vandalin. At the meeting he couldn't ask her anything personal. No beast probably even realized that they knew each other. The male was very good at hiding things, especially his own feelings.

Right now he sat in the shadows of the barn, perched upon the bale in the corner, escaping the beating down rays of the moon so that he felt safe and even more alone. At times the gray areas actually brought him comfort. It's tender paws often held him so tenderly at his greatest time of need. And right now he needed to escape his past, his memories and the idea that he could ever be happy. There were so many hopes and dreams that he entertained and all of them now gone by the earth shattering change of events that he would rather not recall but that which his mind forces him too.

Eagerly he takes another long drink of his wine, hoping to drown out those echos of memories from the past, his past life, the life that was suppose to be his 'happily ever after'....

[Keleanth Windspiral]

Most of the horses in the stable were resting. Some had chosen to lay down for a few hours, while others dozed as they stood in the back of their stalls. Only two were still awake and somewhat alert. One of those was Cooper's horse, who had turned to munching on the remainder of his hay. The other was a sturdy bay gelding whose nameplate showed the name "Magnis".

Magnis popped his head over the stall's half-door and looked down the barn aisle towards the entrance. Most of the horses who had riders had been visited today. His rider, however, had yet to make an appearance. While it was rare for Shazza not to come visit during the day, it happened on occasion. Those were also the days were Magnis was at his worst. Today he'd managed to break away from a groom, bite another horse while turned out, kick another groom, and scare away a group of dibbuns. The gelding was always a pawful, but his displeasure at being left alone by his rider made him almost impossible.

He snorted in irritation when Shazza didn't appear, then pulled his head back into the stall so he could pace. One ear flicked as he heard the faint clink of glass on glass, and he popped his head over the stall door again with a hopeful nicker. No Shazza, but he could see someone in the shadows. The gelding laid his ears back and kicked the wall of his stall before retreating again. He was beginning to think she wasn't going to come at all today, and that he'd have to wait until tomorrow.

Just as he started to fold his legs to lie down he heard the quiet squeak of the barn door sliding open just enough to admit a single beast. The door squeaked again as it closed, and the faint thud of footpaws on dirt could be heard. Black-tipped ears pricked in hopeful anticipation as the bay gelding moved towards his door again. Once more the large head appeared, and this time his nicker was met with a quiet chuckle.

"Hey mate," Shazza whispered. "Sorry it took me so long to get here. It's been a busy day." She smiled as Magnis nickered again, then thrust his muzzle against her paw and nuzzled it. The otter patted him gently, then let her forehead rest against his as she closed her eyes. It had been a long day, and she wanted to get to bed, but she'd needed to come see her horse first. Magnis was her best friend. She couldn't imagine trying to get through a day without him.

They rested that way for a moment, then the bay gelding opened his eyes and sneezed, causing the otter to jump. She blinked, then looked down at her front before laughing quietly. Magnis' eyes twinkled as she slapped him lightly to admonish him. After brushing herself off she grabbed a brush, then opened the stall door and slid in to stand beside her horse.

She ran the brush over Magnis' coat, even though he'd already been groomed. He flicked his tail once, then settled in with a sigh as Shazza worked to bring his coat to a shine. The otter smiled again, then began to sing quietly. She didn't think she had a good voice, but there was no one here to hear her but the horses, and they had never complained. She didn't know that Cooper was sitting in the shadows, and could probably hear everything.

[Cooper Ballion]

Coops odd colored eyes were closed when Shazza walked in but he did note by the sound that the horse was oddly restless. He would have gone to check on him but it seems that he didn't need to. Instantly the gelding seemed to simmer down when the female otter came sauntering in. Coop wasn't aware that it was Shazza's horse. He had not yet checked the roster of the horses that had been brought in. The male otter believed in keeping tidy records so that he was keenly aware of the coming and going of horses and owners. Eventually he would have found out but as of now he was oblivious.

The brute male was trained to be alert, even if he was feeling it from the wine that he was presently drinking. His attention was turned to the female and when he noted that it was her he wanted to slip back into the shadows even further. But why? It wasn't like he didn't know her but it was the circumstances that he allowed and then she left so suddenly, not even saying goodbye or anything. Cooper could only assume that he wasn't that memorable to her and that's what he did. He assumed that he wasn't worth the time of her day... and so he did.

Cooper was aching to clear his throat. What was he doing? He was acting like a little girl. How bad could it be? He could just get up and say hello to her and that would be that. Immediately after he could go back to his drinking and all would be well. After all he was her commander now and he was just out checking on his barn and the horses therein.

Inwardly the male otter groaned and then got up, leaving his precious wine behind but still carrying the scent of it upon his breath as he approached the door. He took a deep breath and then leaned on the door nonchalantly. "Hello Shazza." Her leaving only fortified the wall that was around him. Indeed for being such a masculine male he did silently take things to heart, the very organ that he swore to protect due to past experiences.

[Keleanth Windspiral]

Silence reigned in the stable, broken only by the sounds of the brush whisking gently over Magnis' coat. The gelding had his eyes half-closed, content now that his rider had fulfilled her duty of coming to visit. They hadn't gone riding, but that was fine. She'd make up for that tomorrow, he was sure of it. One ear flicked forward as he heard Cooper outside of the stall, but the gelding wasn't worried about him. He'd seen the commander of the Knights around before. Not only that but he knew Shazza could defend herself, and if she couldn't then he would.

The sand-colored female smiled as she worked, her deft paws smoothing the horse's coat. She ran them down his legs to check for any bumps, scrapes, or cuts, then lifted each hoof in turn to make sure there were no pebbles or rocks caught in the shoes. The groom that had tended to Magnis had done his job well. She could find nothing wrong with the horse. Shazza dropped the brush into the grooming box, then pulled out a comb for his mane and tail. After working out the snarls he'd so easily acquired during the day she set the comb down and looked him over.

"Might fine horse, if I do say so myself." She chuckled, then patted his shoulder gently. Magnis swung his head around and nuzzled the otter, and she stroked his muzzle before leaning against his shoulder. Her head rested close to his withers, and after a moment she let her eyes close. There was comfort in just being with the horse. He expected nothing from her except companionship, and returned the gesture in kind. She sighed in content, thinking that she needed to leave soon. It was going to be an early morning, and if she didn't find her bed shortly she'd regret it.

"Hello Shazza."

The words were met with an undignified squeak as Shazza jumped about a foot in the air and her blue eyes snapped open. Magnis snorted at her response and shifted a step sideways, giving her room to catch her balance after being startled. The gelding rolled one eye at Cooper, then pinned his ears back to show his displeasure at being disturbed. Shazza was just staring at the commander of the Black Knights, one paw over her racing heart. She had thought she was alone in the stables. After all, there weren't many who would frequent this area this late at night.

She stared at Cooper for a long minute, then realized she should probably return his greeting. Her mouth snapped closed and the female blushed, embarrassed now that he had managed to take her by surprise. She was supposed to be a trained member of the foot troops. Shazza cleared her throat quickly, then gave a half-hearted salute as she smiled.

"Ah...hello Commander. I'm sorry, you took me by surprise. I didn't think anyone else was here."

[Cooper Ballion]

Coop watched her with deep interest. The way that she took care of her steed with such love and tenderness. He couldn't help but to let his mind wander down a path that he began to tread the very first time that he met Shazza.

But the silence was broken by his own voice and by her returning his greeting. Coop almost laughed when he seemed to startle her so much. Ah what the heck! He allowed a chuckle to pass through his lips as he hefty shoulders shook.

The male otter stepped toward her. "It's good to see you again Shazza. I didn't know that you were back at the Fort." It was awkward to say the least. He really wanted to ask her where in the heck she went and why she didn't at least say goodbye to him. Perhaps that subject will come up later....

OOC- Sorry so short!

[Keleanth Windspiral]

Shazza blushed again at Cooper's chuckle, and she glanced at Magnis while she attempted to regain control of her expression. Their last meeting had been completely professional, with the rest of the Black Knights in attendance. She'd been thinking about trying to meet up with the cavalry commander alone at some point, but not this soon. She laid a paw on Magnis' shoulder to steady herself, then turned her blue eyes back to the male standing in the stall's doorway.

"It's good to see you again Shazza. I didn't know that you were back at the Fort."

"It's good to see you again too. I...yes...I got back to the Fort a little while back. I meant to find you sooner but-"

She grunted as Magnis pushed her back and out of his way as he advanced on Cooper. The gelding's ears were still pinned back and he leveled a malicious look at the cavalry commander. He'd managed to position himself in front of Shazza and he arched his neck before snorting right in Cooper's face. It was obvious he resented the other male's intrusion on what he considered to be his time with his rider. Said rider blinked in surprise and stared at her companion for a long moment. Magnis had never reacted quite this badly to another beast's presence before. Sure, he'd shown the occasional streak of jealousy, but this was a blatant message.

"Magnis?"

One brown eye rolled back to land on Shazza, who was standing in a back corner of the stall. She blinked again, then crossed her arms and tapped a footpaw as she leveled her own glare at the gelding. He flicked his tail, then snorted in Cooper's face one more time before turning and thrusting his muzzle against the female. That move elicited a chuckle, and she shook her head before wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I know, I know. It was a long day, alright? We'll go out tomorrow, I promise. Now move over and let me out." She slapped his shoulder lightly, and the gelding yielded, shifting back to his original position in the stall. Otter and horse exchanged one final loving gesture, then Shazza motioned for Cooper to leave the stall. She followed, then closed and latched the stall door behind her before turning to face the other otter.

"I'm sorry about that. He's usually not so...jealous." A quick smile was flashed in Cooper's direction, then the sand-colored female reached out to pluck a strand of hay off of his shoulder. "So...what brings you out here this late? If you don't mind me asking..."

[Cooper Ballion]

The femme seemed to be hiding something. Coop's curiosity was burning inside of his ears and his face actually felt hot. He wanted so badly to ask her why she never said anything to him before she left the Fort. The male thought that they were getting along so splendidly. But all of that was lost, or so Cooper thought. From now on he's going to be himself and if their were any female's in his company that didn't like it well then they would just have to get over it. Besides... It wasn't like he was looking to please anyone anyway. Relationships were to much work for him. Such were the things that Coop thought about as his odd colored eyes were glued upon Shazza. Oh if she only knew what he was thinking about.

It was right about then that Shazza's horse seemed to act upon his jealousy by snorting right into Cooper's face. The male otter paid him no mind. He simply glared at the horse and then wiped his face off with the sleeve of his shirt. Shazza displayed her reaction to the gelding but it didn't seem to bother him one bit because he managed to give Coop's face another quick snort. Again the male otter cleaned his face off with his shirt, taking a step back so that Magnis couldn't get off another cheap shot. "Very bad behavior in a horse." This was all that the male said. At times talking about how to discipline a steed was like talking about religion or politics with a friend. Coop left it go because he didn't want it to turn into a tiff. After all Shazza did apologize for him, not that it changed Coop's mind at all about it being rude on the geldings part.

Cooper shook his head and then headed toward the sink. He didn't mind alot of things on his face but horse snot wasn't one of them. Quickly he rinsed his face and then dried it with a disposable towel. "Don't worry about it." He assured her that he wouldn't hold it against her. Besides there were plenty of other things that he would much rather hold against her. Quickly he shook his head. He hated the fact that his mind was always slipping into the things that he just didn't want to think about. Coop clenched his jaw and bit the inside of his cheek to punish himself for having such thoughts.

Her smile was all that he needed to forgive the horse and he almost dodged the paw that struck out to pluck the hay from his shoulder. He simply didn't want to be tempted by the electrical current that passed through him when a femme touched him. It was just something that he wished that he could just get over. "Oh... I'm here doing what I do best." He picked the wine bottle up and took a chug out of it, speaking right after. "I'm here to find some peace and to drink my sorrows away." He chuckled and then took a couple of steps back, trying to keep the distance between him and Shazza.

Deeply he breathed in and then let it out slowly through slightly cracked lips, immediately after licking them enough so that he could ask her a question. "What about you? Were you really out this late riding?" He wanted so badly to ask more of her but he didn't want to bombard her with to many questions. Instead he would allow her to answer as he took his place on his bales of hay.

[Keleanth Windspiral]

"Oh... I'm here doing what I do best. I'm here to find some peace and to drink my sorrows away."

Shazza watched as the commander of the Black Knights drank from the bottle he was holding. She had to wonder what sorrows plagued him to make him stay up so late and want to drink them away. She was fortunate enough not to have any ghosts like that just yet. With enough time serving the fort, however, she was sure she'd gain a few. If her family didn't give them to her first.

"What about you? Were you really out this late riding?"

The question shook the female from her train of thought and she turned her blue eyes to Cooper again. A smile flicked across her
face once more and she shook her head.

"No, not riding. Just visiting. We had troop training today, but they didn't want the horses along. I just wanted to stop in and check on Magnis before I headed back to the barracks. I know it's late, but he'd make me pay tomorrow if I didn't show up!"

Another grin lit up the sand-colored female's face as she glanced back at her horse's stall. The gelding was watching his rider and the commander, but he looked a little more content than he'd been a half hour ago. Shazza chuckled quietly before letting her gaze return to Cooper, happy in the knowledge that her horse was going to be easier to deal with in the morning. She tilted her head as she studied the male otter that was lying on the hay in front of her. Again her thoughts drifted to why he might be here, alone, and drinking. That was not a habit she had ever picked up, nor was it one she endorsed in order to deal with life's problems.

"I hope you're not planning to stay here all night. I think it's supposed to get a bit cooler before dawn."

Shazza thought about leaving, but instead she leaned against the barn wall. She was tired, and she did need to get to bed, but something told her that she could spend just a few more minutes here talking. She and Cooper had had a good relationship before she'd needed to leave the fort. While they hadn't done anything but talk, she had enjoyed his company. Her quick departure had left something of a rift between them, and she wanted to see what she could do to repair that.

[Cooper Ballion]

Cooper chuckled. He knew that she thought he was crazy for being out here all alone and even more crazy for trying to drink his sorrows away. Coop didn't expect other beasts to understand. Alcohol worked the opposite at times though. The affects brought him closer to his pains, perhaps reminding him of what he never wanted to go through again. Then at other times it caused him to forget his heart aches.

What about tonight? The evening it was oddly a mixture. Seeing Shazza again brought his guard up but then again his heart only wanted for the walls to be broken down. He was strangely conflicted. Indeed seeing her again was throwing him for a mental and physical loop. Cooper was trying his best to keep himself under full control but this was becoming more and more of a challenge.

The male again chuckled when she informed him that it was only going to get colder toward dawn. Did she think that he really cared? The affects of the wine would make him numb. He wouldn't feel the fingers of natures elements, not even if it started to snow. "Oh don't worry. I'm sure that I won't be feeling to much after I finish off these bottles of wine." Coop laughed again and poured his fingers through his messy, loose headfur.

[Keleanth Windspiral]

"Oh don't worry. I'm sure that I won't be feeling to much after I finish off these bottles of wine."

Shazza lifted an eyebrow. That single movement morphed her expression into one of distaste and disbelief. This was the commander of the Black Knights of Fort Emerald Bay. Surely he knew better than to get drunk in public, let alone in a barn full of horses. True, the Knights were supposed to be a secret society, but that didn't matter. He was still a commander, with all of the privileges and drawbacks that came along with the position. In the otter's mind that meant he shouldn't want to be found in an inebriated state by one of his subordinates.

Blue eyes shifted to the bottles line up beside Cooper on the bales of hay. The other eyebrow lifted this time before Shazza let her gaze travel back to the male. Normally she did her best to be respectful, but this was really just too much. She didn't know what had inspired this little binge, but she, for one, wasn't going to allow it to continue. Especially since her horse lived in this barn. The female had had more than one bad experience with drunk beasts and her horse, and they usually didn't end well. If Magnis already had a dislike for Cooper, then finding him outside of his stall in any type of incapacitated state would not be a good thing for horse or otter.

"You have got to be kidding me," she drawled. It was obvious she was not impressed. "You are planning on staying out here all night, and drinking all of that?"

One paw gestured towards the bottles Cooper had neatly lined up beside him. A small part of her was taking note of the fact that he seemed a little more relaxed than usual, and that he really was a handsome beast, but that part was quickly being drowned out by the much more logical side of her brain.

"No." Shazza crossed her arms and leveled a look at the cavalry commander that said she meant business. "I won't allow it. You can take those back to your quarters and get drunk, or you can let me take them and you can spend the night here. You don't get to stay here and get drunk." The female rolled her eyes, then continued her lecture. "What are you thinking?! You, of all beasts, should know better than to mix alcohol and horses! Especially as a commander."

The female snorted, then shook her head before moving forward. She didn't want to give Cooper a chance to argue. Instead she began to pluck the bottles off of the hay bales in preparation for leaving the barn. The male could do what he wanted, but he wasn't staying here with the liquor.

[Cooper Ballion]

Cooper laughed at her antics but quickly he put his paw over his still curved upward lips. He wasn't laughing at her per-say or making fun of her in any manner but he 'was' sort of tickled and amused that she was trying to take control of the situation. Of course she was right but he had done this before and he had never gotten caught either. "I can assure you Miss Shazza that I am harmless when I'm passed out from drinking to much. This isn't my first rodeo. And yes... I bought it and so I'm going to drink it." He chuckled again due to his pun. It seemed to fit rather well in this situation.

Shazza then crossed her arms and gave him 'that look', the look that told him that she wasn't about to budge on this. And oh yes he knew that look. He'd seen it before in the eyes of another determined femme. It sort of warmed his heart to think that Shazza cared enough to be looking out for him. Or was such the case? Was it him that she was protecting or the fact that she didn't want a drunk beast in the same barn as her horse was all night?

Then the lecture began. Surprisingly Cooper did pay complete attention to her. It was funny because the things that would bother most males the most didn't bother Coop in the slightest. He missed these times and so the male otter absorbed every second of her speech as he wore a rather cute smirk on his face the whole time.

After she was finished and when she began to take his bottles of wine Cooper then snorted playfully, grabbing her by one of her slender wrists before she could pull away. "You look so cute when you lecture." The male laughed again and continued as his odd colored eyes gestured toward his apartment door. "But do you happen to recall that my apartment is above the barn?" So whether she liked it or not he would be drinking in the 'barn' even if he were in his own dwelling.

Cooper failed to let go of her wrist as he stood. He didn't hold it tightly enough to hurt her but he held it tightly enough so that he could tug her smaller frame toward his. Once to his full height he looked down at her, still grinning as he finished off the bottle that was in his other paw. After savoring the last drop he took a full bottle from 'her' paw. "So if you wish for me to not drink in the barn maybe you should accompany me to my apartment and do me the honor of having a nightcap with me."

The brawny male didn't wait for her answer but rather he let go of her and moved forward, making his way to the pull down stairs that led up to his flat. Upon reaching for the hanging string he glanced over at Shazza and winked. "I promise that my intentions are honorable. I'm not the kind of beast that would have ill intentions. I would enjoy some conversation with you." Coop yanked on the thick rope, hanging on it a moment with one paw, pulling himself off of the ground and flexing his muscles from the exertion.

It seemed that the alcohol was having a little more influence on him then he had realized....

[Keleanth Windspiral]

Much to Shazza's surprise, Cooper actually appeared to be listening to her rant. She scowled before leveling another 'look' in his direction, hoping he was going to take this as seriously as he should. The female didn't know what had inspired his apparent lack of judgement this evening. Then again, perhaps this had been happening much more frequently than she'd imagined. It wasn't often that the otter visited her horse at such a late hour, and that late hour was also contributing to her current mood.

"You look so cute when you lecture."

"Excuse me?" Shazza blurted. She'd never had a male give her that response before. In fact, her previous encounters with those of the opposite gender that had been on the receiving end of her tongue lashings often regretted ever acting or speaking out of turn. It was particularly startling when coming from one of her commanding officers.

"But do you happen to recall that my apartment is above the barn?" Well, she had forgotten that particular point. Shazza scowled again as Cooper stood, then tugged her closer to him. If he thought this was endearing behavior then he might need to think again. The sand-colored female pulled her wrist out of the cavalry officer's grasp as he finished off the bottle of wine he held. Her scowl only deepened when he plucked another bottle out of her arms, then turned to stroll towards the folded ladder that led up to his apartment.

"So if you wish for me to not drink in the barn maybe you should accompany me to my apartment and do me the honor of having a nightcap with me."

What was going on here? While she didn't know Cooper very well, Shazza never would have guessed that she'd see this behavior from him. Her scowl eased into an expression of puzzled dissatisfaction. None of this was being aided by her weariness, nor the fact that her quiet time with her horse had been interrupted. Said horse was now dozing comfortably in his stall, oblivious to what was taking place in front of him. Bugger. The otter shifted on her footpaws as she watched Cooper reach for the string that would give him access to his quarters.

"I promise that my intentions are honorable. I'm not the kind of beast that would have ill intentions. I would enjoy some conversation with you."

She'd been fed that line before. The end result hadn't been pleasant, and Shazza drew back from the memory that Cooper's words pulled up from the depths of her mind. Recent events with her family had left a sour tasted in her mouth. Perhaps that taste would be able to be washed away by a nightcap. One drink couldn't hurt, and she certainly didn't plan on spending the night here, not with an early morning that awaited her.

A sigh escaped the female as she rolled her eyes. There was a niggling thought in the back of her mind that said this could be a very bad idea, but she shoved it away. If this was what it took to get Cooper up to his quarters and away from her horse, then so be it. If he passed out then she'd just leave him to his sleep, and hope he appreciated the hangover that would await him when he woke.

"Fine. But I can't stay long. General Arovar will have my tail if I'm late in the morning."

Blue eyes dropped the the remaining bottles in her arms, and she suddenly smirked.

"Go on up. I'll be up in a second. I just need to make sure Magnis is settled." A moment of patience as Cooper ascended the steps, then the female darted back to her gelding's stall. A whispered word soothed him as she entered. It was the work of a moment to stash the bottles in the corner of his stall under his feed bucket. Shazza covered them with straw, then patted her horse before whispering a few more words to him. The bay nuzzled her, then the otter left him to his rest and headed up to join Cooper. She dared him to try to get to his stash now...if he even remembered he had more bottles.

[Cooper Ballion]

Cooper chuckled. He did as per the femme's instructions. Slowly the male ambled up the ladder until he was fully in his apartment. Now... Where would he sit? Where would they sit? Even though he was a little drunk he wasn't stupid. Cooper was a gentle-beast to the end, even with a mind that was a little fuzzy.

He had not a clue of what Shazza was doing. Coop had forgotten all about the remaining bottles that the femme had taken away from him. He was content with the bottle that he held in his paw, cradling it like a newborn infant and holding it close to his chest.

"Glasses!" Cooper mumbled to himself as his face was plastered with a small grin. It's been a very long time since he's entertained a female in his den. The thought made the male feel slightly sick. But then again she was just a part of his faction. Right?

Coop managed to get the glasses and then to pour them to the top with the sweet crimson liquid, licking it from his paw as he spilled a bit. His odd colored eyes glanced to the opening in the floor wondering where Shazza had gotten to. Surely she didn't high tail it out of there and break her promise for a night-cap.

[Keleanth Windspiral]

The whispered goodnight and tender caress seemed to settle Magnis in for the night. Shazza chuckled as she watched the bay gelding start to doze. It was just like the restless horse. Go, go, go until he got what he wanted, and then he would crash. Still, she loved him, and he loved her in return. There wasn't anything one wouldn't do for the other, and she knew that. The otter chuckled again before turning her attention to the ladder that now stood before her, waiting to take her up to Commander Cooper's quarters.

Should she really go?

There was a moment where she honestly debated just leaving the stables. After all, she'd accomplished her goal of getting Cooper out of the main barn area and up to somewhere a little more secluded. She was tired, and she wasn't sure she really needed to be alone with a semi-inebriated male. Then again, she had promised him, and there was the chance he'd try to follow her if she didn't make an appearance. With a sigh she began to ascend the ladder, hoping she wasn't making a mistake.

Blue eyes peered around the room as the sand-colored female moved into it. She pulled herself upright, then straightened her uniform tunic before looking around again. She wasn't exactly sure what she was supposed to do next, or where she was to go. Her eyes fell upon Cooper, who was already waiting with two full glasses of wine. Shazza shifted on her footpaws, then moved closer to the male, hoping that this wasn't going to take too long.

[Cooper Ballion]

Cooper began to feel a bit foolish as his eyes fell to her appearing figure. In anyone else's company except for Shazza's he wouldn't mind acting so foolishly. When he looked at her it stirred something within him, something that he, up until now, wasn't ready to admit. No other female was able to do that to him since the loss of his love. His heart began to ache in his chest as she stepped toward her, handing her a glass of wine as he was near enough to do so. "Please forgive me for acting like I have tonight. I'm usually only intoxicated when I am alone." He paw fell to his side once she took her drink.

His cheeks blushed slightly. Shazza could have noticed this and even so while he moved toward the couch, using his paw to direct her to a rather comfortable looking arm chair. Cooper sat with a soft groan. "I promise to only keep you for one drink." He wanted to reassure her that his intention were honorable and that she need not fear that he would do anything stupid. Well in truth in his condition he 'was' capable of doing something that he may regret tomorrow but for now he was a safe enough beast sitting on the sofa.

Cooper waited for her to take a seat before speaking. "Tell me Shazza. What brought you back to Fort Emerald Bay. I thought for sure that I'd never see you again." He wanted to add that his heart longed to see her everyday that she was absent from the Fort but he managed to keep his silly feelings to himself, at least for a little while. It seemed as though the pair had played a game of cat and mouse ever since they met.