/Author's Note: This started out as another 500 word drabble challenge, but let's face it, it's no secret that Karen's my absolute favorite Harvest Moon character - so I just decided I'd write a series of drabbles on her misadventures as a drunken youth, stumbling through life in Mineral Town. This is the first of this series :D Expect chapters to be short and... well, drabble-length, and do come back to enjoy a regular dose of everyone's favourite drunk. End Author's Note /

Gingers

There was a very simple tradition upheld by certain denizens inhabiting Mineral Town. It was one that was devoutly followed by a fair number of them. It was old - as old as the town itself, perhaps. It was widely followed. It was to the point.

And it went like this: When the sun sets, find the nearest bar and get as drunk as you possibly can. This is a story about a girl, who some might argue is the most ... traditional girl in all of Mineral Town.

"Your dad's hot!" Karen leaned over and whispered - in a very loose definition of the word - to the boy on the barstool next to her, who had been in the process of sipping a Mojito. His reaction was a charming succession of splutters, coughs, and spits as his drink had evidently gone down the wrong way.

Clearing his throat - and adjusting his glasses before they slid of his nose - he replied, "Seeing as the last time I even saw my dad was when I was five, I'd say your memory is either remarkably good or you're just hallucinating at this point." This was likely.

"...Wha-? Ann? Why d'you sound like Rick? I don't r'member y'sounding like that egghead."

Rick pushed Karen firmly to her right, where Ann was sitting - and also because the poor blonde was about to plummet over had she tried to lean to her left anymore.

"Oh. Oh! Hi Ann. So, yeah. Your dad's hot."

"Thaaat's unnecessarily creepy. Cheers." The ginger replied, raising her glass in sarcasm. One learnt to tune out Karen's remarks when she had reached her peak hours of inebriation - not to mention that once the beer goggles were on, everyone was attractive. Saibara was attractive. Won was attractive. The barstool was attractive. Tonight's eye candy, apparently, was Ann's dad, the owner of the establishment, Doug.

"I mean, that moustache. C'mon, Ann, don'tcha love a guy with some facial hair? Why can't you grow a moustache? I want a moustache. Get me a moustache." Karen shot at Rick. She attempted to spin around to face him, but only ended up spinning around four more times than was necessary and ending up on the floor in a crumpled, giggling heap.

Ann hurried to help her up, a role she had grown far too comfortable with. Rick was the unfortunate soul who'd later have to haul her home (which might have explained why he was trying to drink as much as he was).

Pulling the blonde's face up to her own level, a look of stunning realization dawned on Karen's face.
"Ohhhhh. Now ah'see where Doug gets his good looks." She said, blearily staring at Ann's round face.
"Haha, I don't think it works like that, Karen..." Ann chuckled feebly, cheeks growing red, "Besides, didn't you just say y'wanted a guy with a moustache?"

"Maybe it runs in the family!" Karen reasoned, bungling to her feet, "And if yours is anything like your dad's..." The lush let out a sultry chuckle under her breath.

"Annnd, you've officially flown off the drunk-o-meter. Rick!" Ann called out.

"Gingers," Karen sighed, "Such teases."