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Shala waggled her hoof at Doodle dismissively in the air. She coudn't have that. None of that. To have a pony look at her like that or give her sympathy.

"I don'tsh want your pity!" She slurred. Groaning she clutched at her lower stomach. That pain was there again. It always hurt lately, and it only made her feel worse. There was only one good cure she knew of for that.

"G-get me another drinksh..." She grumbled, clearly agitated.

Doodle looked at Shala and asked. "Are you alright? And do you really think more drinks is going to do it for you? You're already past the healthy level of alcohol consumption and any more would just give your blood alcohol poisoning which could kill you."

She sighed quietly. "My mother was a potion brewer and left behind some recipies for numbing pain and stomach problems... I'm sure I can find a recipie for your ticking problem back at the cabin." She knew Shala would want more drinks instead of her offer anyways but thought best just to throw it out there to see what would happen.

Shala flailed her hooves in overexaggerated defiance. "No! I want another!" She wriggled and rolled off her seat to get onto her own hooves. If she wasn't getting her drink, she would get it herself.

Unfortunately, she failed to calculate her own drunken state and fell right on her face. Her hooves helplessly crumbled under her as she smacked into the ground. Yelling in shock and surprise, she spouted slurred curses that sounded more like a foreign language of gibberish.

Doodle nodded and said. "Yeah, you've had enough... I can't imagine what any more would do to you..." She decided the next course of action would be to set up a room for her in case she needed a place to stay. She needed to get out anyways, the thick smell of alcohol was overwhelming and driving her crazy. She wondered if Shala would accept the offer when she was sober but then remembered her grouchy attitude. She guessed making friends with the grumpy mare was out of the question for now. She still hoped she could help her in other ways than providing her alcohol.

Victoria glanced at Flame Disk as if he were insane. He who had been sociable at first surprised her as he became hostile without apparent cause. Of the many stallions she had known, Victoria could recall many disagreeable ones; but never one with such an obscure nature that he could not be judged at all.

She was spared of a reply when Shala tumbled lamely onto the tavern floor. "A pleasure as always," Victoria muttered acquiescently before hastily leaving his side to accompany the two mares.

"What a pitiable little thing," Victoria lamented over Shala's head.

She stooped to address Shala directly. "Hush up and return to your seat, sweet child. You will need to be still while you are in such a state."

"Then get me a be'er chair." Shala mumbled and felt for her seat. She took hold of it and lazily pulled herself onto it, determined to show herself more in control than eveypony though. It had been long enough since her last drinking binge that she was finding the alcohol having more affect than normal. For her, there was only one way to fix that. Drink more!

"I'm fine! Get me another drinksh or I'll m-make ya." She teetered a little in her seat, eyes glazed over in a distant focus.

Doodle quickly went over and got a cushioned chair for Shala to sit on. "This was the comfiest thing I could find. Sorry Shala." She said quickly while covering her nose with her right hoof and trying to keep from gaging at the intoxicating odor of the vile substance in which Shala consumed. She just wanted to get out of there and back to her nice, warm, and comfy bed but she was anything but rude.

"Um, Shala, do you have a place to stay for the night? You could always stay with me if you'd like." She said trying to persuade them to leave the tavern. "And what about you Victoria? Do you have a place to stay?"

With a glance in Shala's direction, Victoria promptly nodded to Doodle. "Not to worry, dear. We've asked enough of you, and we've places to go indeed."

Victoria reclaimed her wine and sipped conservatively; although she meant to part soon, for Shala evidently would not be able to sustain herself in public for very long.

"Please feel no obligation to linger, Miss Doodle. 'Tis clear 'zat 'zis is not a place for a mare like yourself," she added sympathetically.

Shala took the chair, but was getting even more erratic with her behavior. Sounding desperate she reached for her empty glass and tried to drink what was not there.

"Aaahhh....More...I need more." Her ramblings only went on more and more about her drink. Eyes unfocused and depressed. Something clearly had come to the surface here. A snap in her life from the past.

Nothing said between Vicky and Doodle was acknowledged by her. The only response she was giving to anything was the clutching of her lower stomach as a pain burned in her.

Doodle looked over at Shala with concern. She hated to see any pony in pain but she knew more drinks would only cause her state to get worse. "Well if you need any assistance you can always come to me." She said standing up and headed toward the door but stopped right before pushing the door open and turned back to Shala and Victoria.

"Are you sure there isn't anything I can do?" She asked hoping she wasn't being too much of an annoyance.

"You need not persist. Be on your way, my friend." Victoria replied absently, now by the side of Shala's chair.

Turning to her, the pegasus resolved to explore the pain of the former. With tantalizing nonchalance, Victoria produced a bit and deliberately clamped it between her hoof and the table.

"See 'zis, Shala?" she inquired, a dark and calculating tone surfacing amidst her usual docility.

"Another drink may be in order, if -- and only if -- you will tell me what is on your mind."

Rattling the metal piece, Victoria searched for temptation in the mare's eyes.

Shala glared over at Vicky from the corner of her eye. This mare had played her cards well. Her lazy and drunken demeanor evaporated. Shala stared down Vicky, dueling her with eyes alone. The moment only lasted so long though as her desire for reward grew.

Groaning she let her head fall onto the table. "...Why does she have to be such a suck up to me? Its moronic. I robbed her and she wants to offer me a bed....Stupid. If i were her, I would kick me out or turn me in."

Doodle's abnormally large ears perked up upon hearing what Shala said, she turned towards her and said in a soft caring tone. "Because it's the right thing to do, and I'm not sucking up to you, I'm only trying to help in any way I can. I can put myself in your horseshoes and know exactly how you're feeling... Er, well, close enough anyway. Hehe." She said chuckling softly.

"Turning you in wouldn't have gotten anypony very far and since I'm here to offer support I wouldn't be a very good friend if I just let them take you away." She said ending with a light and bubbly smile which soon turned into a frown upon turning to Victoria.

"I only wanted to help, I'm sorry for being overly persistent. I'll leave soon."

Victoria nodded, carelessly releasing the bit in such a way that it rolled off and had to be retrieved from the floor. It had become apparent to her that there was nothing left to be extracted from the encounter.

"Well," she declared, "'zat's all very nice. Now, as I do believe the night matures, I shall be going. Shala, gather yourself and rise. You, being without a permanent home, and having accessed the very extent of Doodle Bug's hospitality, need part from here alongside myself."

Her next words, she murmured. "If you shall come now, 'zere may be finer treats in my possession 'zan 'zat which one can find in a simple tavern."

"Thank you again for your graciousness, Mademoiselle Doodle Bug," Victoria addressed at last, standing upright and trotting towards the door.

Shala seemed to only get more frustrated at Doodle. She couldn't understand this pony's mercy. What confused her the most was when she called her a 'friend'. Shala did nothing but take from her and yet she was a friend.

She wasn't too fond of leaving the tavern yet, but the mention of 'treats' made her get up soon enough with some groaning. "You better have a full open bar..." She grumbled and tailed Vicky.

"Alright then." Doodle said as she unfurled her wings and took off flying above the storm, hoping her wings hadn't gotten too wet.

She rocketed through the air towards her cabin as the storm started to let up enough to let her see the ground as she flew.