A Bar On The Mainland | Saturday Evening

[not_trivial]

Alec had no idea that there was any kind of weirdness going on this weekend. He'd gone about his business like usual -- some training in the morning followed by some heavy hiding-in-his-room throughout the afternoon -- and then he'd set off on, well, it was kind of an adventure, actually.

Or if you asked Jace, it was a date. Which meant that if you

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[myownface]

"Pretty much," Sparkle replied, perfectly comfortable surrounded by loud music and people having a good time. He was all set, fake ID in his pocket, for a night of drinking and forcing Alec to be social. Social among his people.

... If it was a date, Sparkle, at least, was kind of oblivious to that fact. Clearly, he hadn't had Jace telling him what was what when it came to this friendship between himself and Alec.

"Is there anything in particular you want?"

[not_trivial]

Poor Sparkle! Everyone should have an attractive and judgmental adopted brother to explain the inner workings of their friendships. Really now.

"...Is water out of the question?"

Yes, Alec. It was.

[myownface]

"... Yeah. Let's get you something that actually has a flavour to it, at least. We can even start with one of those fruity, girly drinks if you don't want beer."

Sparkle was so getting beer.

"Why else would we go to a bar, right?"

Besides for that date that Sparkle wasn't aware he was on.

[not_trivial]

"I guess beer, then," Alec said. Because 'fruity, girly drinks' didn't sound all that appealing. "I assumed for the... experience?"

Whatever that meant.

[myownface]

"Like, the not being a hermit, hiding away from humanity experience?"

Because that was why Sparkle had chosen a bar. That, and the guy desperately needed to meet other gay men. Desperately. And then some.

"And how are you liking that experience so far?"

[not_trivial]

"It's loud," Alec decided. "And... unnerving. And full of glitter."

So.

"But it isn't horrible."

[myownface]

"I like the glitter," Sparkle decided, looking around the bar and then flagging the bartender down. "It adds pizazz."

Yeah, he totally just used that word.

"What part of it's unnerving? The bar part? The gay part? The gay bar part? Something else?"

[not_trivial]

"The crowd, mostly," Alec admitted. Which it felt loud to almost-yell, but, you know, music. "Normally this is the kind of place Jace and Isabelle and I would find a, a Croucher demon in the supply closet or something, with everyone all distracted."

[myownface]

"A croucher demon."

Sometimes he forgot that the awkward guy in front of him also happened to kill demons.

"Okay, so maybe I find a quieter bar next time. Just kinda figured if we came here, at least we'd get a few free drinks out of the deal."

Because, look, they were at least moderately attractive. It was a gay bar. Sparkle had a strategy, here.

[not_trivial]

"No, it's okay, I think they're all mostly like this," Alec assured him. "Wait, the drinks are free?"

Oh, sweetie.

[myownface]

Sparkle just smirked faintly and slid a beer down the bar toward Alec. This drink was on him.

"They're free if you catch someone's eye and they're hoping you'll give them your number," he clarified. "You really don't do this sort of thing often, do you?"

[not_trivial]

"Never," Alec confirmed. "Wasn't that the point?"

[myownface]

"Completely and totally the point," Sparkle replied, nodding a little. "Okay, so, if people buy you drinks, you don't have to go home and sleep with 'em or anything, but odds are they're really hoping you do. You can turn them down, if you want, and send your apologies with the bartender. Or you can pass 'em my way if you really don't want them, but the guy who bought them for you is probably going to take it personally if you do that."

Helpful, wasn't he? He smirked as he reached into his pocket for his smokes.

"That said, I know I totally won't protest if you forward some unwanted booze my way."

[not_trivial]

"Oh." Well, then. "I mean, I probably won't get any, but. If I do, you can definitely have it."

Alec drummed his fingers on the bar awkwardly, then leaned forward and tried to call a bartender over. Unsurprisingly, he failed to be loud enough, and leaned back, a little deflated.

"Or that," he added.

[myownface]

Sparkle couldn't help but grin a little at that. Poor Alec.

"Not loud enough?" He pulled a twenty from his pocket and gave it a wave. "Hey, handsome! My partner in crime here wants to talk to you!"

It was hard to ignore money being waved in the air, no matter the reason. Sparkle just sat back and looked pleased with himself.

[not_trivial]

Alec blushed a little, even as he found the phrasing of that a little strange -- 'handsome' for the bartender and 'partner in crime' for him, didn't that seem a little... un-date-ly?

In any event, he gave the bartender a sheepish smile and put in a request for "a beer, I guess."

His first-timer vibes were so, so apparent.

"And do you want anything?" he asked, glancing back over to Sparkle.