Tattoos, Luck and Addictions (spoilers all RotE books)

[Farseer]

I don't recall him getting drunk in the Farseer series? And I don't recall Amber getting drunk?
Yet, as you point out he had been drinking before he makes his very first appearance in Tawny Man. Just part of his Lord Golden persona? Or just a bad habit he picked up? Hmmmmm.

Fool hit the brandy, when Fitz 'came to' in Fool's Mountain Kingdom room in Chapter Twenty 'Jhaampe' , back in AQ.

"For a year, I have believed you dead, Fitz. For a whole year."
He had not released my hand. I felt the trembling that went through him. He stood suddenly saying, "We both need something to drink."

Fool consumed quite a bit when cupfuls are counted...actually, reading on, he emptied the bottle with little of its contents taken in by Fitz (who was still laying on his stomach with an arrow embedded in his back)!

No doubt the year spent believing that his Catalyst was dead was a difficult one for our favourite White Prophet - a year which he got through via the use of brandy and this possibly put him on the road to "dependence"? He was definitely rattled throughout the above passage.

There is a possibility that Fool needed to fortify himself whenever he was in Fitz' presence, the longer they were together and the greater their bond, to counteract the humanness/emotion he felt? After all, as soon as Fool turned up in FE, Fitz noted that he had fortified himself for their meeting?

More likely though, Fool was on a bit of a downer throughout the TM series, feeling low due to believing he may have failed at his White Prophet duties throughout LST (with regards to being with the wrong person - Wintrow or Althea). He said as much on one of the nights he drank too much in the hut with Fitz, also in FE, and even accidentally blurted everything out to Fitz about the stunted dragons up in the Rain Wilds etc.

This is similar to how he was feeling throughout the year of Fitz' 'death'...that he'd failed as a WP, not to mention had not kept his Catalyst alive.

Maybe this then is why he also fortified himself prior to their first meeting in FE? He was feeling completely unsure of himself and his abilities as WP, after believing he failed during LST, and thus needed brandy courage to approach Fitz and throw himself back into the task of saving the world, despite his lack of belief in himself and knowing the world depended on his not making mistakes.

Too, it was only Fool's say-so that 'made' him the White Prophet of that time...the majority of others who cared about such matters believed the real White Prophet of that generation had been out in the world for years. If Fool failed in saving the world, he also failed at all he had given his life over to do, he had run away from his 'school' for nothing and others would conclude that he'd lied about being the WP.

I'm thinking I'd be needing a drink of something too......!