Reese arrives with Sparte while adorned in her silvery steel plate. She smiles over the man. The girl pulls off her own helmet, revealing her golden locks, pink ribbons and pretty face.

At this point people have settled down from celebrating-- that is to say that they aren't celebrating in the Badger right now. No the men and women gathered for dinner at the Badger tonight are those weary souls have been working to help with the rebuilding efforts. Some who have volunteered in the Thraxian ward, some who are rebuilding around the city.

Everyone is looking dog tired and ready for the end of a long day.

But there is at least one patron-- at the bar --demanding more coffee. Loudly.

"Give me another pot!"

Calaudrin shows up! Looking exactly like someone that's looking for someone else. He steps into the room and peers around curiously. Oh look, a man loudly demanding coffee. He seems alert! "Hello. Excuse me, but can you point me to where Dame Esoka Greenblood happens to be?"

Esoka lives here. Though she's returning to it from the wider city at present. She trucks through the door, removing her helmet and shaking out her chin-length dark curls. She perks at the shouts for more coffee, even late as it is. "Make it strong! I'd not mind a cup." She comes just in time to spot Calaudrin. Inquiring after her. She grins, one of those big, toothy smiles. "Calaudrin. Hello. I see you found the place again."

Reese slips into the Badger along with Sparte. She is adorned in her silvery steel plate, but he princess often is. She looks exhausted herself as wearing so much steel around can get rather tiring. She peeks over the man demanding demanding coffee, giving him a tired smile. She hten smiles over to Calaudrin as well. "What do you want Sparte, some mutton stew and bread?

Sparte is here with Reese, not really sure what to expect but comfortable enough in the company. His helmet is hanging at his belt, the Stoat that is his sometimes companion riding along there like it is their personal saddle. It occasionally chitters demandingly at Sparte, and is given bits of food from another pouch as tribute. Looking around, Sparte is struck by worn out people seem. "Lot of work still happening... Maybe I should do an extra shift tomorrow."

Sparte glances over to Reese, shrugging in response. "Any food is fine, Princess Sir. Except carrots. She attacks carrots." An indication to his furry passenger.

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Reese before departing.

Esoka has joined the Bar.

Calaudrin has joined the Bar.

"No carrots." Reese agrees with Sparte. "Are you sure about the extra shifts? That sounds exhausting the girl says." She then starts to head in the direction of the bar. "Can we get two bowls of mutton stew and two hunks of sourdough bred and two large ales? "Hopefully the stew won't have carrots." She adds sheepishly.

Reese has joined the Bar.

Calaudrin's question is answered by the woman herself! He smiles apologetically at the coffee demanding man and twists around to greet her. "Hey, yeah. For only really having been here a handful of times I figured it out." He glances around at the people eating and talking, even if they all do look quite tired. "Seems everyone here has had a long day. Almost ready to check in for the night. Is this a bad time?" When Reese and Sparte arrive, he lifts his hand to give them a friendly wave in recognition. "Evening you two."

The man tilts his head upward when he hears other people talking. Watery blue eyes that are shot through with spidery red lines shift over first Calaudrin, "Who--" And then to the Dame herself. A small sniff is given and he turns back toward the bartender, "Hu-hurry with the coffee!"

A sharp yawn is given, his hands slamming onto the bar in a fit of ... anger at his own sleepiness?

Reese smiles over to Calaudrin. "Greetings officer." She murmurs in his direction. "And Dane Esoka." She looks toward the man with some confusion. "Maybe a rest would be better than coffee?"

Ainsley GM Roll checked mana(4) + occult(3) at difficulty 20, rolling 22 higher.

Esoka checked mana at difficulty 20, rolling 8 lower.

Calaudrin checked mana at difficulty 20, rolling 7 lower.

Sparte checked mana at difficulty 20, rolling 4 higher.

Sparte looks over at the upset man, lifting an eyebrow at him but not moving over to get in his business. Instead he shoots Calaudrin a grin. "Evening." He moves to take a seat at the bar, commenting over to Reese. "I take extra shifts all the time. I don't always tell the Lord Commander though, he gets upset when he realizes. Just... Usually not with me."

"Not a bad time. You should join me for dinner." Esoka says it to Calaudrin firmly. Before backtracking and making it more of a request. "If you like. I'd not mind the company. I can show you my room later. I think you'll appreciate it." Subtle is...not a thing she does, really. She plants herself on a stool. Near Reese, but leaving one open next to her. Despite what she said...just a second ago about showing Calaudrin her room, she suddenly gives a yawn of her own. "You know, I am rather worn tonight, come to it."

"That's because you do enough work for twelve men. You deserve a rest." Calaudrin yawns suddenly, when a moment earlier he was at least relatively alert. He rubs at his face, trying to shake it off. "You know what, I'd like some coffee too!" He calls to the man over the counter. A smile is mustered for Esoka, "Yeah, we should have dinner together. Or just- go to your room. And sleep. I have energy for sleep." That's extremely subtle. He doesn't even look ashamed about it.

Merril, an Assistant Page arrives, following Lailah.

Lailah arrives, following Cybele.

Merril, an Assistant Page leaves, following Lailah.

Lailah leaves, following Cybele.

Reese checked mana at difficulty 20, rolling 24 higher.

The man gets a little but grumpy when the bartender pauses in the act of pouring him a cup of coffee, "Maybe you should go sleep-"

"NO!" Says the man, loudly. Shouting. Shouting very much. But tiredly. "No. Sleep." He starts to shake just a little bit. He reaches for the half poured cup of coffee.

Reese looks over to the red-eyed man, seemingly still rather confused. "Why do you need to stay awake?" She questions gently while still at the bar in her silvery steel plate. She takes a sip of her ale.

Sparte glances over to the red eyed man again, looking him over thoughtfully a second time before glancing to the others. Reese is first to the punch, and Sparte is fine listening for the man's answer.

"I have plenty of energy." Esoka half-snaps it, in respones to Calaudrin. Though the snappishness seems aimed at herself. She gives her curly head a firm shake. A very 'get on your game, woman' sort of gesture. "Yes, we should do that. I just need..." And then she yells at the bartender, "I believe we also ordered coffee! Hurry it up, man." She glances sidelong at Reese, but doesn't seem to think anything //that// unusual about the man's behavior yet. It //has// been a tiring day. And she's also aggravated about it.

Calaudrin blinks at Esoka's half-snapping, even if it's not directly aimed at him. He clears his throat and leans into the bar counter a bit to stare off towards the bartender. "Need coffee. Soon." He repeats. The man shouting results in his eyes opening wider. Then he yawns, covering his mouth. "My apologies-" Then Esoka is also yelling at the bartender. "Shit, woman. I think he's moving as fast as he can." He rubs his hand over his face and from between his fingers he peeks a Reese, then back at the angry exhausted man.

Calaudrin checked perception + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 17 higher.

The bartender squints at the shouting man and says, calmly, "If you keep shou-" And then Esoka is shouting at him too. He winces a moment and mutters something underneath his breath. He turns and hollars toward the kitchen. "Bring out a second pot of coffee before we have a riot!"

And then he finishes pouring coffee for those who have asked for it.

The tired man squints at Reese a moment and says, "Your highness..."

He doesn't seem inclined to answer her question.

Reese seems still baffled. She peeks over to Sparte with a questioning glance and them back to the man. "Princes Reese, you seem to know that." She says toward the stranger, but is easy to tell who she is with all that gear, very easy. "Who are you?"

Calaudrin has left the Bar.

3 Iron Guardsmen have been dismissed.

Calaudrin has joined the Bar.

Sparte seesaws his attention back and forth between people before tapping a finger on the table to set a small beat. He amuses himself with a small tune, speaking it quietly enough not to disrupt the conversation or shouts for coffee. He is in no rush to get his drink. "They make it black they pour it black they wrench it from a nut, drink a pot and soon enough your kettle will pop, the only drink that makes the weak get up to piss and groan..." He goes into a low hum for the next part of the lyrics, still tapping quietly to his own amusement.

Esoka makes a "Hrmph" sound at Calaudrin. Not shouting anymore, but she drinks her coffee in a way that demonstrates no regrets. She's been rewarded for yelling, so clearly it works. Sparte's song earns a raised eyebrow. But her "Huh" at it is vaguely approving. It does sing the praises of coffee, after all. Reese's dialogue with the man makes her pay a bit more attention to him. Blue eyes narrowing. Trying to place him. And then blinking, still a little tiredly.

Calaudrin accepts his cup of coffee from the bartender and takes a long, generous swallow. He rubs his eyes again despite himself and exhales slowly. He's staring at the angry tired man, his eyes narrowed at him. Drawing him, he looks first at Esoka, assessing her reaction. Then he twists and looks at Reese, leaning over to murmur something to her quietly.

"I know who you are." says the man, patiently, despite his tiredness. He leans back a little bit more, a little away from the princess and says, "Name's Calbert."

Reese checked mana at difficulty 20, rolling 1 higher.

Reese leans into Calaudrin, listening to his whispered words and nodding in response to them. "Yeah, how could you not know." The girl says, looking down at her pink, silvery, griffin and dragon adorned gear. She gives him a sheepish smile that touches her eyes. She also has lots of jewels, cause wearing jewels and full plate makes sense, really! "Calbert. What is your trade? Are one of ours?" She murmurs, maybe meaning a Grayson Commoner.

Food! Glorious questionably meatiness stew. Cook it long enough and who can tell, after all. Sparte starts eating his stew, glancing over to Reese and Calbert in between bites to give the tired man a small wave. "'ello Calbert." Politeness and what not.

The Stoat riding in the helmet on Sparte's hip stirs, sniffing the air. Beady little eyes slowly rise up to look around.

"Master Calbert." Esoka greets the man with some small measure of familiarity, now that she's actually paying him some attention. The kind you give a vague acquaintance. She gulps deep of her own coffee before adding, "You look like you've had a day. Not that all days aren't rather long right now." A look passes between Calaudrin and Reese. Their focus on the man increases hers, if nothing else.

The man gives another deep yawn, and blinks at Reese. His elbow goes onto the bartop and he peers at her a moment longer. He says, "Uh. I'm a carptenter..." He yawns a little bit more and his eyelids drop downward. His head dipping a little bit as well. Is he falling asleep?

Calaudrin returns to squinting at the man over his cup of coffee. Which he continues to drink. It doesn't last long. The squinting that is, after a time he glances down into the cup and leans a little closer towards Esoka while the man continues speaking to Reese. He puts his hand onto the knight's arm and then blinks when the man starts to droop. His eyebrows go up questioningly, but he remains silent.

...also Calbert doesn't get a chance to respond to Esoka because he starts to fall asleep...

Reese seems troubled as she looks to the man and then she looks over to Calaudrin. She bites at the swell of her lower lip as if not quite sure how to handle this. The girl watches him sleep for a moment and then looks over the bar. "Um...lets just wait and make sure he is okay for a bit. Or maybe we should get him a room and watch over him while he sleeps?"

Esoka checked perception + empathy at difficulty 40, rolling 25 lower.

Calaudrin checked perception + empathy at difficulty 40, rolling 22 lower.

Reese checked perception + empathy at difficulty 40, rolling 26 lower.

"We can carry him up to mine," Esoka offers to Reese, of poor Calbart. "It's just up the stairs and down the hall. Shouldn't let him linger here, poor fellow." She glances up at Calaudrin, seeming quite comfortable with his hand on her arm. Though her shrug is a touch apologetic, offering her bed as storage as she is. She sighs.

"Maybe he can just sleep here at the counter? I dunno. I've done it a few times." Calaudrin seems to mark this case closed as the man falls asleep. Problem solved! Whatever it was. He drains the rest of his coffee and rolls his eyes up at the ceiling. "Or he can sleep in her bed. That's good too." Though he doesn't sound exactly thrilled. Sigh. So much sighing from everyone.

Reese hmms softly. "Sounds good. Lets carry him." She murmurs. "Lets see who is the strongest of us? Probably not me. The two strongest should carry."

Sparte checked perception + empathy at difficulty 40, rolling 38 lower.

"GODS NO!" The man suddenly screams, jerking up out of his stool and ... well onto the floor. He crashes downward and comes awake screaming. His blood eyes watering as he rolls over, attempting to stand up.

Reese gasps softly as she looks over the fallen man. "Um..." She murmurs and rises from her stool. "Sir....are you okay?" She says, trying to help steady him if need be.

"We can get him," Esoka mutters, giving Calaudrin a jutting nod of her chin to get one of Calbert's arms, while she moves to take the other. She sighs some more, heavily, as she does it. She is not quite in time to reach him, though (what with all the sighing), before he falls to the floor screaming. She exclaims something in Crownlands shav that has the sound of profanity, even if one doesn't speak the language. It has that ring. She kneels down, not to help him stand but to try and get a grip on him. "Hold still a moment..."

Reese checked charm + manipulation at difficulty 30, rolling 20 lower.

Calaudrin actually startles when the man screams and lands on the floor. He looks more alert now than he has in the last five minutes. He gets up when Esoka does and moves to help her steady the man. The guardsman looks nice and baffled by what's going on.

Calaudrin checked strength + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 8 higher.

Esoka checked strength + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 12 higher.

Sparte blinks and stands up. That is enough to get his attention. He stares at the man, spoon clenched in one hand and the second balanced on the bar. "The heck? Wait, wait a sec." Sparte suddenly looks at the man sadly. "I saw another fellah freak out sort of like this, a green recruit who saw a Bringer attack. Every time he slept, nightmares got him." Tiny Tom the Stoat slips off of Sparte's helmet and onto the bar top. Looking around, she bounds over to Reese's untouched bowl of stew and bristles at it. Sparte is still giving Calbert a sorrowful look of pity. "And a carpenter... Wonder if it is coffins."

The man is grabbed by Calaudrin and Esoka both. He kicks and twists. "No no." He complains. Exhaustion having leeched the strength from his body. This man clearly -needs- sleep. "No no! I see-- I see the bodies everytime... Every time I close my eyes."

Esoka tries not to hurt Calbert, but she's firm. A short nod, at Sparte's words. "We should take him to the Mercies. They can give him something to make him sleep, at least." Her tone is decisive. For want of anything she can actually //do// for the man, beyond brute-force shoving him somewhere. Another look is exchanged with Calaudrin, this one touched more with actual worry than confusion. Even if she still looks a little tired.

"Sounds like Sparte wins the prize." Calaudrin replies dryly as the man kicks and flails weakly against them. "What did they do for the recruit?" He asks, making a face as the man almost clips him with his foot. Esoka's suggestion however comes across as sound. "That's a good idea. They might be able to give him something that at the very least knocks him out for awhile, give him a break."

"No!" The man thrashes about, trying to break free of Esoka and Calaudrin. "No! No sleep! I can't sleep! The bodies-- The bodies!" He twists and thrashes, attempting to get away. "Just give me more coffee!"

Sparte rubs at the back of his neck. "Well, uh... Well, we took turns telling the recruit stories. About all sorts of things. Loss, bravery, cornfields. Just helped him think about something other than his own experience."

There is a sudden spoon flying past as the Stoat attacks Reese's bowl of food, sending stew bits flying as it savages a slice of carrot sticking out of the goop. Sparte is drawn away from caring for the poor soul by the sudden need to get contain the tiny rampage. "Oh no oh man Tom gah!"

Esoka checked strength + brawl at difficulty 20, rolling 10 higher.

Calaudrin checked strength + brawl at difficulty 20, rolling 1 higher.

Sparte checked strength + brawl at difficulty 20, rolling 3 higher.

"Be still!" Esoka throws her shoulder against the poor fellow, attempting to use one arm to partially pin him. "You are safe now. The Bringers are gone. Think of...cornfields." She tries to make her tone soothing. She's not very good at it. But she at least continues to make some effort to just hold him, not hurt him. "The Mercies can get you...coffee. Or something, to make the images stop."

"Start singing one of your songs then. Maybe if it's boring enough, he'll fall asleep. I have faith in you." Calaudrin also tacks on, "I'll sing with you." This man could fall asleep or he could try to murder them at this brilliant suggestion. Then he's flipping around again and carrying on, so returns to trying to stop that from happening.

The man trashes a bit more but he's too weakened from his exhaustion to fight against two seasoned combatants. He kicks his legs one last feeble time, and then gives up. A low whine is given and he says, "Nooo... No please."

"The mercies sound good." Reese murmurs and then she wanders off like the spoiled princess she is. Even in steel she is still annoying deva at times.

Reese has left the Bar.

Esoka clasps Calbert's shoulder when he stops thrashing. Good, good. Keep that up. She's not letting him go just yet, though. An absent nod is offered to Reese as she princesses off. She looks a touch wide-eyed about singing, but shrugs to Sparte. Couldn't hurt. She clears her throat, as if she might join in if this is tried. Or at least hum along. Her singing voice isn't anymore soothing than her yelling one.

Sparte is busy getting his Stoat away from the stew and calmed back down. Thank goodness for armor on his fingers. He is wearing his share and Reese's share of stew, and in no position to help the others at the moment.

"You would think she'd go and get one of the Mercies or someone else to be helpful." Calaudrin mutters to himself/everyone within hearing distance when Reese abruptly leaves. He sighs then and when singing doesn't immediately start to happen, "This morning I got up early and went to the lobby of my building and had some coffee. Then I went to the Iron Barracks. I said hello to Sparte. I stopped in and talked to Silas. He was as optimistic and friendly and perfect a person as usual. I felt vaguely annoyed by this. I walked my patrol. I had to chase a man that stole a ball from a child. I think he was drunk. It wasn't even noon yet. I caught him. But only after I chased him for a very long time. I only caught him because he was fat and overweight. It was a reminder that I should smoke and drink less but I'm not going to. I contemplated getting a hair cut. Then I went down to the commons and..." He can keep going like this ALL night. It's very, very boring. Or interesting if you like that sort of thing.

Calaudrin has rolled a critical success!
Calaudrin checked command + leadership at difficulty 15, rolling 24 higher.

Aannnd... the man starts to fall asleep. He moans and cries out in his sleep, but this time he remains /sleeping/. Of course this means that Esoka and Calaudrin have a heavily muscled carpenter sleeping in their hands.

Esoka at first just looks baffled by Calaudrin's droning about random, mundane details of his feudal beat cop day. But, then, it kind of works. The "Hrmph" she gives him this time is approving. She pats Calbert's shoulders soothingly...ish. "There, now. There you go." A look back up at the bartender. "All right. I am not putting this in my room. Is there another available I can rent for him for the night?"

"...After lunch I returned to the lower boroughs. I went by Magpie Grayhope's shop. I stared in the windows and tried to make him uncomfortable- Oh good, he's asleep." Calaudrin exhales in relief and slowly releases his grip on the man's arms. "Maybe they could give him a room, free of charge for one night. Considering we just stopped him from potentially trashing the bar and causing a wild scene." He suggests to the man tending bar, always helpful.

Calaudrin checked charm + intimidation at difficulty 15, rolling 11 lower.

The bartender just sort of stares at Calaudrin for a moment and then says, "Fifty copper and he can have the brown room." This is said to Esoka. He looks rather firm on the price.

Sparte finally gets Tiny Tom the Stoat settled and mollified in his helmet, putting a little extra coin on the counter for the trouble of the mess. He doesn't bother cleaning up his armor just yet, looking like the loser of a food fight. "Sorry about that. She is, uh, carrots. You understand." Probably not. Sparte gives an embarassed smile to the bartender. "Can I, um, borrow a towel? I'll pay for the room." A glance to the tired man. "I'll volunteer to stay with him. He'll need someone nearby if it is like the recruit was."

Esoka sighs heavily. It's the night of heavy sighs. A nod to Sparte. "My thanks. Help me get him up." That to Calaudrin. She tries to gently move Calbert from the floor. "I will contact the Mercies in the morning, but perhaps dragging him through the streets at night isn't the best notion." Tempting as she perhaps finds it.

The bartender will accept the coin from Sparte, and point them in the direction of what room to go in! The bed there is threadbare and probably a little uncomfortable, but... Well it's a bed. The man still sleeps when he's brought in and put to bed.

Calaudrin moves to his feet, no longer retelling the tale of his day. Much to the appreciation of many other people in the room. He sighs when the man wants 50 coppers. But apparently he will be paid! He helps Esoka with the sleeping man, attempting to be gentle with him. "We should probably try this dinner thing another night..." He mutters, willing to follow her lead in hauling the exhausted carpenter off to wherever he's going to sleep.

"We should." Esoka grunts, hauling Calbert up the stairs and off to the brown room. She tilts her head at Calaudrin, over the frame of the sleeping man. "Or we could try breakfast tomorrow, perhaps. If you'd like to stay."

"I'm okay with that. It's a long walk back home anyway." Calaudrin is quick to answer. Don't mind them as they make their personal plans over this guy's sleeping body that they're hauling up the stairs.

Sparte moves to help Esoka with Calbert, but it is symbolic help at best. Sparte is just not belt to carry people around safely. "When you see Princess Sir, please thank her for the meal for me."