So a playboy and an immortal wind mage walk into a bar....
Who: Sheena (torans_playboy) and Luc (wind_incarnate)
Where: The Tavern
What: Two "friends" reconcile in the bar.
Warning: A little bit of drinking!
He wasn't usually the type to fall prey to these situations and avoided the place as much as he could since he first had the chance to smell wines and ales. But with the current situation at hand and really just a certain sense of desperation on his own end, Luc sat alone at the bar with a half empty cup of a clear spirits he had braved to consume. Or… was it already the second? He really didn't remember despite how nasty it tasted and lingered in his mouth.
All he could think about right now was how Sarah seems to be missing from sight again, how annoying that little blonde child was, and how sending McDohl away seemed like a bad idea after all.
God… what was it with blondes and him anyway?
Despite sneaking off for nips of drinks since the days when his country was known as the Scarlet Moon Empire, Sheena had never built up nearly as strong a tolerance for alcohol as others, especially not when compared to his father, who must have accidentally been born with the liver of an ox. Viktor had once told him that practice made perfect when it came to holding liquor, and as the promise of more nights on the town with the guys seemed to become more imminent, it seemed a good time to begin "practicing" again.
Sheena froze with uncertainty as he saw the familiar figure of a brunette hunched over a bar stool, already nursing a glass. Locked in indecision, he stood with a vaguely dumbfounded look on his face, staring at the back of the mage's head, unsure of what exactly the protocol was for this sort of situation. Would it be better to ignore him and sit elsewhere? If Luc hadn't noticed him come in, could he slip out the back? Should he sit down with him? Why did it feel like meeting in a bar after an awkward one-night stand if they hadn't done anything outside of the realm of fiction?
Oh, to hell with it.
Sheena walked up, muffling his steps as best as possible, to the next unoccupied stool. He stood, uneasily, cleared his throat, and gestured to the chair.
"...this seat taken?"
Luc only glanced at him for a second before turning his attention back to the rim of his glass.
"No." he replied.
With a quick, deep sigh, Sheena settled in on the neighboring stool. With his elbows firmly planted on the bar, he waved one hand at the bartender before crooking his head to the side to stare at the glass in Luc's hands.
"Didn't take you for a drinker," he said quietly, clearing his throat again. "This is the last place I'd expect to see you."
"That's probably because I'm not." Luc smirked before taking the glass back to his lips and taking a swig of the liquid, only to make a face as he set the empty glass on the counter. "… It's a rare occasion-and gods. This tastes terrible."
The bartender slipped a thick, stout glass across the bar to Sheena before returning to his business, and the blonde grasped his fingers around it, considering the rim for a second as he spoke.
"Well, you shouldn't force yourself, then," Sheena said, tipping back his ale. "No reason to make yourself drink if you don't enjoy it." Nevermind the brief look of mild displeasure on his face as he swallowed.
"So...." he started awkwardly, looking for something else to look at as he took another gulp of his drink.
The wind mage scoffed at his remark before knocking at the table for the bartender's attention for another glass.
"I'd have asked for milk, but I thought I would've stood out too much." He joked with a slight smirk, ignoring the fact that his looks alone made it troublesome enough to even ask for the first glass. "Though… If you're going to ask me about something, you best ask now while you still have my attention. So make it fast."
After all, the glass he had consumed before was already coursing through his system.
"I think you should try doing this more often," Sheena said with a smile playing across his face as he set the glass down on the table. Folding his hands, he glanced up at at the wind mage, brow lightly furrowed.
"I'm pretty sure you know what I'm gonna ask you about," he said, hitting the knuckles of his clasped hands against the beaten, stained wooden surface of the bar. "I think we gotta clear the air, 'cause it's ridiculous to be avoiding each other like we made some bad decision when nothing ever happened but some misunderstandings, y'know? I think it's better if we get it out there and then move on with our lives. Although..." He paused. His tongue flitted briefly over his upper lip and he reached, once again, for the glass before him and took a draught.
"You said you know who did it? I'm just curious."
"Ha. You'd encourage me to get wasted?" the wind mage almost laughed, only to be interrupted as the bartender placed another glass of the spirits before him.
He then wrapped his hands around the glass gingerly, considering how to answer the rest of Sheena's questions.
"For one thing…" he started. "You were the only one who was doing the avoiding. I just kept my distance to keep that thing from gaining anymore ideas for its writing. Now as for who did it… I'll give you a clue. A few actually."
Luc then raised the glass, level to his eyes.
"It's blonde and pink and likes to nag." He muttered before taking a drink from the glass.
"I didn't say wasted," he corrected politely, before taking another drink. "There's no fun in that. I just meant you mellow out a lot, and that's gotta be good for your health, y'know? Ease up on the stress a little, I mean. Just a bit to lighten your head, not enough to lose it."
"But yeah. I guess I kinda jumped the gun there. Maybe that wasn't a great idea, to suddenly get all flighty or what the hell ever? I'm sure that just made it even worse 'cause it made me look guilty. I think, from now on, we shouldn't let it get between us, 'cause that means there'd be something to get awkward about, right? I've got nothing to be afraid of."
Still, despite all of his calm bravado, Sheena looked down at his empty glass tenatively, until a new one magically seemed to appear before him. He considered Luc's description of the perpetrator for a moment as he brought the glass back to his lips, and nearly shot the foam up his nose in sudden epiphany.
"What, Gremio?" Sheena sputtered. "Gremio's not even here."
"Tell that to my liver." Luc snorted before taking another sip of his drink and placing it back down on the counter. "I can't afford to mellow out when I'm stuck in a place full of enemies. Besides, the moment I show any kindness, they interpret it as a chance to suddenly dictate to me on how I should love everything, even the dogs."
He paused and listened to the younger man, only to let out a chuckle at the result of the other male's poor deduction.
"What??" he laughed, "Since when did Gremio wear pink?"
Oh gods… what a terrible image that would be.
"Well, if you're not out to rot your organs, maybe you should slow down a little," Sheena said. The corners of his mouth curved unmistakably upward as he stared down and traced his finger around the rim of the glass as foam residue dripped down its chilled sides. Even after barely a mug, he had decided to take his own advice. "If you don't pace yourself, you'll just be booking yourself a ride on the vomit-wagon. Next stop: Hangover city. I mean, I know that's not easy to remember when you're caught in the heat of the moment 'n all, but what are we gonna do when I gotta drag you back up to your room? That's not gonna look good."
What? What was that sound? Could it be....Luc's laughter? He glanced down as a smile split his face further, picked up his glass, and took a drink.
"Didn't he have a pink apron or something? I thought Tyr did that once as a joke. Got him a nice pink apron with hearts all over it. Or maybe I did that; I don't remember. Either way, I'm pretty sure he actually wore it once or twice. Unless I'm making that up."
"Point is, man. I'm not trying to lecture or anything, okay? But it doesn't hurt to let go every once 'n a while. Just a little. I'll drink with you sometimes if you like, 'n I promise I'll stop trying to find you a lady-girl-friend. I'm not trying to pressure you or anything, man. Alright? We can shake on it and everything. I'll leave you alone 'bout loving things. Even the dogs. Not a word anymore. Pinky swear. If you're my drinking buddy I promise-promise-promise that you aren't gonna have any enemies coming after you, alright?"
"I'm sure Mathiu would have something for that." The old man being a more experienced drinker compared to the both of them combined as rumours had it. "But man… I might have missed that. Then again, we're talking about the Dunan War, right? I hated your guts back then for that grabbing problem of yours."
Luc tilted his glass on the table, watching the liquid slide against the walls of the cup. He could agree that letting his guard down like this was a lot easier, but still… his guard was there for a reason. Without them, the discomfort of existing in this place would overwhelm him. And who knew where that would lead him.
"McDohl might not be too happy." He said quietly while the smirk still remained on his lips. "This is the first I've consumed more than just a taste, and repeating this will just make him get on my case. Thanks for the offer though."
"I don't know, man," Sheena replied, pleased grin still playing across his face. "I think Mathiu defeats alcohol by pure willpower. I don't think you can bottle that and give it to patients, but then again, I'm hardly a doctor."
He paused at the second half. His brow furrowed lightly as he took a second half, but the smile was back by the time he set the glass down. The blonde let out a small, dismissive laugh.
"What, is he your mom or something? You're a grown man 'n you don't need someone telling you what to do like a nagging wife," he said, waving his free hand dismissively. "If he tries to give you lip, just tell 'im he's not your boss! Not anymore, at least. I guess if you count back at that old castle. Or, invite him along. That'd be better, y'know. I always wondered how he'd take his drink."
With another long drought, he set the glass down. With one hand curled around its base, he rested his other elbow on the table and planted his chin against his palm. Sidelong, he looked at Luc, uncertainty perched momentarily in his mouth.
"Do you still hate me?" he asked, quietly. Although he faced the bar before him, his eyes still settled to the side.
Luc snorted through the glass just as he was taking a drink from it. He'd have to agree about Mathiu… Poor old man has a lot to worry about from the sounds of it too. As for McDohl…
"He is sorta like that isn't he?" The wind mage mused, swirling the liquid in the glass again. "A mom or a wife. I think he can't help it." Aside living beside Gremio for so long, there were other things to be considered. Like the other man's feelings for him. "You should offer to be his drinking buddy then and see what happens. I've never seen the man drunk myself."
The next question was a bit more complicated to answer. Perhaps 'hate' was too harsh of a word to use on Sheena back then. The time Luc spent 'hating' his elder brother and his own existence was far different from how he disliked Sheena since that day in Toran. So… it wasn't hate. It was more like… he was intolerable.
"I've technically haven't seen you for about fifteen years…" Ignoring the 4 years he had apparently been dead for. "I've had a lot of time to think about other things… So no. I don't hate you anymore."
"Yeah, I guess you kind of get that way after having to look after that many people for so long, huh? I'd probably sound like a naggy teacher if I was supposed to be in charge of that many people." Of course, this is probably why Sheena wasn't the one leading the Toran rebellion. "You gotta promise me, though. If he says yes, you're coming too! Ain't no way he can tell you you aren't allowed if he's doing it too. That's just straight-up hypocrisy, and I will not abide by it!"
Sheena considered Luc's answer, chewing on his lip as he chewed on the information.
"So you don't hate me because you had better things to do?" he asked with one sharp bark of a mirthless laugh as he brought the glass back to his mouth. His words echoed empty into the glass before him and reverberated more to his ears than anywhere else. "S'pose I should take what I can get, huh."
"Fine, fine." The wind mage replied before taking another drink from the glass again. "But if he says no and calls you crazy, this conversation is null and did not happen."
After all, even he wasn't sure how straight cut the other man was anymore after he declared his feelings for the mage then shamelessly asking for dates on occasion. Wouldn't that be a shocker for Sheena? Not to mention Luserina…
"Yeah… you should." He smirked again, rolling the glass between his palms. "Don't take it personally though. Waging war needs more attention when the best help you can get is a Silverberg not quite up to par with Mathiu and a blonde demon who doesn't even know when someone's making fun of him. Speaking of which, I heard another rumour about you and Yuber."
"Ehh, fair enough," Sheena drawled. He tilted the glass from side to side slightly-- not enough to spill the ale, but just enough to watch the bubbles escape from the side of the dark tinted glass. "I can live with that. Just know, alright? No hard feelings. I know I was a miserable little stain back then, and I don't think I ever properly apologized for what I did, so I'd still like to make it up to you. What do you want? I'll do it. Then it can be water under the bridge 'n we'll try that whole 'friendship' thing someday, maybe, if you feel up to it."
It took Sheena a second to trace back-- what had he actually done to Yuber to illicit any sort of rumors? He hadn't spoken much to the odd-eyed monstrosity in recent months. The last thing he did...
"Look, if you really don't hate me and Yuber's finally put two-and-two together, don't send him my way, alright? I like my head where it is: right on top of my shoulders, thanks. Nobody needs to get killed for any of this, 'cause that's just plain overreacting."
Luc actually paused to think about that, placing the glass back onto the counter and tapping his free hand on its surface.
"I suppose asking you to get rid of the other book I've seen Luserina walk around with is out of the question." He said quietly before letting out a sigh. "Your reputation's involved in that too, you know."
Who knows how many of them even existed at this point. She did speak of a book with a lock… but the book she dropped had no lock. So that would mean at least another one existed aside the first book Luc has seen her writing on that one day.
"Ah… no. I heard around that a young girl apparently thinks you and Yuber have broken up." The wind mage smirked. "It's quite surprising to hear considering I wasn't aware you two were even involved."
It was a double-- no, a TRIPLE-slap of information, and Sheena knocked his glass over in shock. Luckily, with most of the contents already emptied, the spill was minimal, but the bartender gave him a dirty look regardless. The young blonde man spewed apologies as he took the dingy, discolored bar towel from the bartender's hands and sopped up the mess as he apologetically ordered another.
"Why would Luserina be writing something like that?" He hissed, flabbergasted. "And how many are there?! Is there a whole novel series on the," ahem, "'adventures' of...our counterparts?" Sheena paused, momentarily mollified, as a new drink slid across the bar at him, leaving a trail of spilled beer and condensation behind like an alcoholic slug.
"I'm gonna have to run damage control. I'll have to...oh, I don't know, seduce it out of her or something. Or just steal it. I don't know. I'll figure something out. And as for Yuber? What?"
"I don't really even like blondes," he said, one edge of his mouth curved up in a lopsided smirk as he took another drink. As he did, though, his eyes flew open and he set the drink down quickly. "And just to clarify, I mean that as a joke, alright? I don't know why the hell anybody would think that. Probably got some names mixed up somewhere."
Well, that reaction was somewhat expected. At least Sheena was willing to take his request seriously. The thought of those books existing put the wind mage in unease. Had they remained private, at least he wouldn't have to worry about them. But the girl's clumsiness struck, and a good amount of people suddenly knew of the escapades of Luke and Shane.
Gods… where did she get those names?
"I don't know. She doesn't seem to think she's done anything wrong." Luc said simply before draining the rest of his drink and already raising his hand slightly to signal at the bartender who was already looking his way. "If you can get them away from her or convince her to take on some other hobby, it might improve the situation for both of us."
Actually… he was quite thankful that Sarah hadn't heard about this whole incident as of yet. He did secretly hope it remained that way. While the opinion of others about him was useless… his reputation to Sarah actually did mean something. The only 'family' he had left was the one thing he didn't want to be tainted by some lonely young girl's delusions.
"Hey, I just heard about it." He said to Sheena as he gave the bartender a nod after another glass was placed before him. "So don't shoot the messenger. Besides, I think it's much more believable for most sane people to hear that Yuber and Pesmerga are getting along and committing mass genocide in the neighbouring village compared to a rumour that you're dating the blonde. Your only problem now is the fact that the percentage of sane people in this castle seems pretty low."
Oddly enough, the bartender appeared to be nodding his head at them for the comment.
"If you want all these rumours to go away, I think you should finally go out there and ask a girl on a date." He paused. "A local one. So they can all see."
"Y'know, this would be a lot easier if I could get in that dating game or whatever, right? Maybe then I could talk to Luserina about it more easily. You hear about that? I wasn't paying attention before, but now..." With a toast to wasted ideas, Sheena took another drink. He considered what Luc said with a light laugh, muffled by the ale and the glass, and set the glass down before him.
"What, like who? Nobody around here's interested," Sheena scoffed, snorting a loud puff of air from his nose. The glass made a dull "thunk" noise as he flicked his fingernail against the side over and over as he mulled over the possibilities in his slightly addled mind. "I don't think anybody I like is even gonna look my way. I have a bad habit of that, y'know? I like the ones that aren't interested, or already otherwise taken best. Yeah, yeah, I know, boo-hoo-hoo and all that. Just means I'm not looking hard 'nough. I'll ask 'em al!!
"Besides, I think it's getting kinda late with this rumor business. I already got a few of 'em going 'Oh, Sheena, you don't have to try so hard! I understand!' Like, they understand that they think I'm a poof. What'm I supposed to do about that?"
"… Haha… Honestly. That dating game she's playing is nothing but a fickle activity to amuse that little girl further." And he unfortunately confirmed this from his own experience while he pretended to be his brother during the first round of 'dates'. "Who knows… maybe she'll find it more meaningful if you ask her out, outside of the contest. It's not considered cheating and you can't be disqualified if you're not even participating with her game."
"Although…" the wind mage drawled as he raised the glass back to his lips. "That means if she denies you after the first date, you just really fail as a man."
Well, it wasn't so surprising for him to hear that Sheena was having a hard time hitting on the local girls. There was a small amount of them in the castle, and most of them were either married, interested on someone else, or too stupid to know about what's going on around them. And he wouldn't dare volunteer his own care into a relationship with Sheena. At least not if it was on her own will and Sheena assures him that he wouldn't do what rumours state about him and a certain student of Mathiu's…
"… What about one of those Falenan girls? There's quite a few of them, and they all seem available." He mumbled against his drink before placing the cup back down. "You just have to suck it up and prove them wrong. That you're serious about your intentions to date… or something."
Sheena laughed. It was a low, slow chuckle that rose both in pitch and volume as he shook his head, more surprised at himself than anything. He leaned his elbows on the table, crooked his cheek against his hand, and grinned at Luc.
"I never thought I'd see the day that you'd be giving me relationship advice."
…. This was true. Even Luc could agree to this.
"Well, you best follow it with caution if you want to see more in your lifetime." He countered with a smirk. "I might have read that line from a book once, so I don't know how putting it in to practice would do anyone good."
"Don't worry," he said with a grin and a glass to his mouth, "I'm not gonna forget this anytime soon, alright? Hell, all this time and I've been trying to give you pointers! Guess there's a lot to be said about book-smarts, eh? Maybe I shoulda listened to mom more."
Hand still firmly planted on his cheek, he stared down at Luc's hands-- more specifically, to the drink held in them.
"You sure you're feeling alright? Room's not spinning or anything? First time I tried drinking...hah. First time I tried drinking for real, Viktor gave me a swig from that flask he carries 'n I threw up right on the spot. Don't lose your legs out from under you, alright? Gotta make sure you can walk out of here without meeting head-first with the floor!"
Luc paused all movement, visibly this time. He actually hadn't considered that at all. Somehow, the alcohol had not affected much of his senses aside a slight light headedness and a numbing sensation to the tip of his fingers. Then again… he did manage to survive one or two of those cooking contests Hai Yo held as one of the judges…
… Although it was Riou who did the helping, so he didn't think back then to worry about food managing to kill him. Maybe there were advantages to being an artificial being? But he had lost his ability to snap at people on sight since the beginning of this conversation. He didn't even send Sheena away the instant he came by.
"…. If you're asking me to slow down before I get drunk, I think it's a little too late to ask that now." Luc explained simply. "As for how I'm feeling, I think I've felt never better. If I sit here long enough, I'm sure the effects of the alcohol will subside. If it doesn't then…"
He raised the glass and drained the rest of the liquid down.
"Oh well…!
Maybe it would have been better if Luc had found himself in the company of McDohl or someone like him, after all-- it at least would have left the wind mage in the hands of someone with more of a conscience of maintaining a better influence. Sheena laughed again, louder this time, and quietly applauded Luc's newfound bravado.
"I am never going to try to drink you under the table. You've got an extra stomach for this stuff or something! Just...try to drink some water too, at least, or you'll be miserable when your brain shrivels up.
"Just be careful trying to get up! Sometimes you think you're great while you're sitting, but then, BAM!" For emphasis, he slammed his fist down on the surface of the table. The bartender shot him another dirty look, for which Sheena winced apologetically and withdrew his hands under the wooden surface like a schoolchild who had just been reprimanded. He turned again to Luc, suppressing an embarrassed laugh.
"So, Luc. I have a proposition for you. If I get that other diary back..." the blonde paused, mostly for dramatic effect. "If I get it back, you've gotta do this again with me sometime, okay?"
"… Think you can do it?" Luc asked as he tilted the empty cup slightly with his finger just as he caught the eye of the bartender and shook his head to signal that he's had enough for now. "If you think you can actually do it and succeed… I guess I'll think about it."
"What, you gotta give me more than that!" Sheena exclaimed, giving Luc a light mock-punch to the shoulder. "I can't put my neck on the line for a 'maybe!' It's not like it's even a big thing on your end to just try it one more time!"
The wind mage smirked at his reply and placed the cup back to its upright position which the Bartender then took away, just in case.
"Fine, fine. Succeed and we'll do this again." He chuckled. "Bring McDohl too and let's test which of us drops to the floor first."
Although an inch or so of ale still remained in the glass set before Sheena, its contents had been long ignored. With a bright, unabashed smile, he brought a hand forward, extended to Luc.
"Alright, we shake on it. Though...do you think McD's gonna be in for that?"
"Don't know." The wind mage replied as he took the other man's hand without hesitation, though a mischievous glint lingered in his eyes. "But if he refuses, then kidnap his bandanna and he'll come running."
"Ha ha ha, I'll tie it to a bottle of rum and tell him he has to drink it to get it back," Sheena laughed, lingering for a second before he took his hand back. "It's a deal, though, just so you know! No backing out!"
"Yeah yeah…" Luc muttered and he pulled his hand away and placed it back on the table.
At least this was hoping… for Sheena's sake, that he'd remember most of this conversation tomorrow.
Where: The Tavern
What: Two "friends" reconcile in the bar.
Warning: A little bit of drinking!
He wasn't usually the type to fall prey to these situations and avoided the place as much as he could since he first had the chance to smell wines and ales. But with the current situation at hand and really just a certain sense of desperation on his own end, Luc sat alone at the bar with a half empty cup of a clear spirits he had braved to consume. Or… was it already the second? He really didn't remember despite how nasty it tasted and lingered in his mouth.
All he could think about right now was how Sarah seems to be missing from sight again, how annoying that little blonde child was, and how sending McDohl away seemed like a bad idea after all.
God… what was it with blondes and him anyway?
Despite sneaking off for nips of drinks since the days when his country was known as the Scarlet Moon Empire, Sheena had never built up nearly as strong a tolerance for alcohol as others, especially not when compared to his father, who must have accidentally been born with the liver of an ox. Viktor had once told him that practice made perfect when it came to holding liquor, and as the promise of more nights on the town with the guys seemed to become more imminent, it seemed a good time to begin "practicing" again.
Sheena froze with uncertainty as he saw the familiar figure of a brunette hunched over a bar stool, already nursing a glass. Locked in indecision, he stood with a vaguely dumbfounded look on his face, staring at the back of the mage's head, unsure of what exactly the protocol was for this sort of situation. Would it be better to ignore him and sit elsewhere? If Luc hadn't noticed him come in, could he slip out the back? Should he sit down with him? Why did it feel like meeting in a bar after an awkward one-night stand if they hadn't done anything outside of the realm of fiction?
Oh, to hell with it.
Sheena walked up, muffling his steps as best as possible, to the next unoccupied stool. He stood, uneasily, cleared his throat, and gestured to the chair.
"...this seat taken?"
Luc only glanced at him for a second before turning his attention back to the rim of his glass.
"No." he replied.
With a quick, deep sigh, Sheena settled in on the neighboring stool. With his elbows firmly planted on the bar, he waved one hand at the bartender before crooking his head to the side to stare at the glass in Luc's hands.
"Didn't take you for a drinker," he said quietly, clearing his throat again. "This is the last place I'd expect to see you."
"That's probably because I'm not." Luc smirked before taking the glass back to his lips and taking a swig of the liquid, only to make a face as he set the empty glass on the counter. "… It's a rare occasion-and gods. This tastes terrible."
The bartender slipped a thick, stout glass across the bar to Sheena before returning to his business, and the blonde grasped his fingers around it, considering the rim for a second as he spoke.
"Well, you shouldn't force yourself, then," Sheena said, tipping back his ale. "No reason to make yourself drink if you don't enjoy it." Nevermind the brief look of mild displeasure on his face as he swallowed.
"So...." he started awkwardly, looking for something else to look at as he took another gulp of his drink.
The wind mage scoffed at his remark before knocking at the table for the bartender's attention for another glass.
"I'd have asked for milk, but I thought I would've stood out too much." He joked with a slight smirk, ignoring the fact that his looks alone made it troublesome enough to even ask for the first glass. "Though… If you're going to ask me about something, you best ask now while you still have my attention. So make it fast."
After all, the glass he had consumed before was already coursing through his system.
"I think you should try doing this more often," Sheena said with a smile playing across his face as he set the glass down on the table. Folding his hands, he glanced up at at the wind mage, brow lightly furrowed.
"I'm pretty sure you know what I'm gonna ask you about," he said, hitting the knuckles of his clasped hands against the beaten, stained wooden surface of the bar. "I think we gotta clear the air, 'cause it's ridiculous to be avoiding each other like we made some bad decision when nothing ever happened but some misunderstandings, y'know? I think it's better if we get it out there and then move on with our lives. Although..." He paused. His tongue flitted briefly over his upper lip and he reached, once again, for the glass before him and took a draught.
"You said you know who did it? I'm just curious."
"Ha. You'd encourage me to get wasted?" the wind mage almost laughed, only to be interrupted as the bartender placed another glass of the spirits before him.
He then wrapped his hands around the glass gingerly, considering how to answer the rest of Sheena's questions.
"For one thing…" he started. "You were the only one who was doing the avoiding. I just kept my distance to keep that thing from gaining anymore ideas for its writing. Now as for who did it… I'll give you a clue. A few actually."
Luc then raised the glass, level to his eyes.
"It's blonde and pink and likes to nag." He muttered before taking a drink from the glass.
"I didn't say wasted," he corrected politely, before taking another drink. "There's no fun in that. I just meant you mellow out a lot, and that's gotta be good for your health, y'know? Ease up on the stress a little, I mean. Just a bit to lighten your head, not enough to lose it."
"But yeah. I guess I kinda jumped the gun there. Maybe that wasn't a great idea, to suddenly get all flighty or what the hell ever? I'm sure that just made it even worse 'cause it made me look guilty. I think, from now on, we shouldn't let it get between us, 'cause that means there'd be something to get awkward about, right? I've got nothing to be afraid of."
Still, despite all of his calm bravado, Sheena looked down at his empty glass tenatively, until a new one magically seemed to appear before him. He considered Luc's description of the perpetrator for a moment as he brought the glass back to his lips, and nearly shot the foam up his nose in sudden epiphany.
"What, Gremio?" Sheena sputtered. "Gremio's not even here."
"Tell that to my liver." Luc snorted before taking another sip of his drink and placing it back down on the counter. "I can't afford to mellow out when I'm stuck in a place full of enemies. Besides, the moment I show any kindness, they interpret it as a chance to suddenly dictate to me on how I should love everything, even the dogs."
He paused and listened to the younger man, only to let out a chuckle at the result of the other male's poor deduction.
"What??" he laughed, "Since when did Gremio wear pink?"
Oh gods… what a terrible image that would be.
"Well, if you're not out to rot your organs, maybe you should slow down a little," Sheena said. The corners of his mouth curved unmistakably upward as he stared down and traced his finger around the rim of the glass as foam residue dripped down its chilled sides. Even after barely a mug, he had decided to take his own advice. "If you don't pace yourself, you'll just be booking yourself a ride on the vomit-wagon. Next stop: Hangover city. I mean, I know that's not easy to remember when you're caught in the heat of the moment 'n all, but what are we gonna do when I gotta drag you back up to your room? That's not gonna look good."
What? What was that sound? Could it be....Luc's laughter? He glanced down as a smile split his face further, picked up his glass, and took a drink.
"Didn't he have a pink apron or something? I thought Tyr did that once as a joke. Got him a nice pink apron with hearts all over it. Or maybe I did that; I don't remember. Either way, I'm pretty sure he actually wore it once or twice. Unless I'm making that up."
"Point is, man. I'm not trying to lecture or anything, okay? But it doesn't hurt to let go every once 'n a while. Just a little. I'll drink with you sometimes if you like, 'n I promise I'll stop trying to find you a lady-girl-friend. I'm not trying to pressure you or anything, man. Alright? We can shake on it and everything. I'll leave you alone 'bout loving things. Even the dogs. Not a word anymore. Pinky swear. If you're my drinking buddy I promise-promise-promise that you aren't gonna have any enemies coming after you, alright?"
"I'm sure Mathiu would have something for that." The old man being a more experienced drinker compared to the both of them combined as rumours had it. "But man… I might have missed that. Then again, we're talking about the Dunan War, right? I hated your guts back then for that grabbing problem of yours."
Luc tilted his glass on the table, watching the liquid slide against the walls of the cup. He could agree that letting his guard down like this was a lot easier, but still… his guard was there for a reason. Without them, the discomfort of existing in this place would overwhelm him. And who knew where that would lead him.
"McDohl might not be too happy." He said quietly while the smirk still remained on his lips. "This is the first I've consumed more than just a taste, and repeating this will just make him get on my case. Thanks for the offer though."
"I don't know, man," Sheena replied, pleased grin still playing across his face. "I think Mathiu defeats alcohol by pure willpower. I don't think you can bottle that and give it to patients, but then again, I'm hardly a doctor."
He paused at the second half. His brow furrowed lightly as he took a second half, but the smile was back by the time he set the glass down. The blonde let out a small, dismissive laugh.
"What, is he your mom or something? You're a grown man 'n you don't need someone telling you what to do like a nagging wife," he said, waving his free hand dismissively. "If he tries to give you lip, just tell 'im he's not your boss! Not anymore, at least. I guess if you count back at that old castle. Or, invite him along. That'd be better, y'know. I always wondered how he'd take his drink."
With another long drought, he set the glass down. With one hand curled around its base, he rested his other elbow on the table and planted his chin against his palm. Sidelong, he looked at Luc, uncertainty perched momentarily in his mouth.
"Do you still hate me?" he asked, quietly. Although he faced the bar before him, his eyes still settled to the side.
Luc snorted through the glass just as he was taking a drink from it. He'd have to agree about Mathiu… Poor old man has a lot to worry about from the sounds of it too. As for McDohl…
"He is sorta like that isn't he?" The wind mage mused, swirling the liquid in the glass again. "A mom or a wife. I think he can't help it." Aside living beside Gremio for so long, there were other things to be considered. Like the other man's feelings for him. "You should offer to be his drinking buddy then and see what happens. I've never seen the man drunk myself."
The next question was a bit more complicated to answer. Perhaps 'hate' was too harsh of a word to use on Sheena back then. The time Luc spent 'hating' his elder brother and his own existence was far different from how he disliked Sheena since that day in Toran. So… it wasn't hate. It was more like… he was intolerable.
"I've technically haven't seen you for about fifteen years…" Ignoring the 4 years he had apparently been dead for. "I've had a lot of time to think about other things… So no. I don't hate you anymore."
"Yeah, I guess you kind of get that way after having to look after that many people for so long, huh? I'd probably sound like a naggy teacher if I was supposed to be in charge of that many people." Of course, this is probably why Sheena wasn't the one leading the Toran rebellion. "You gotta promise me, though. If he says yes, you're coming too! Ain't no way he can tell you you aren't allowed if he's doing it too. That's just straight-up hypocrisy, and I will not abide by it!"
Sheena considered Luc's answer, chewing on his lip as he chewed on the information.
"So you don't hate me because you had better things to do?" he asked with one sharp bark of a mirthless laugh as he brought the glass back to his mouth. His words echoed empty into the glass before him and reverberated more to his ears than anywhere else. "S'pose I should take what I can get, huh."
"Fine, fine." The wind mage replied before taking another drink from the glass again. "But if he says no and calls you crazy, this conversation is null and did not happen."
After all, even he wasn't sure how straight cut the other man was anymore after he declared his feelings for the mage then shamelessly asking for dates on occasion. Wouldn't that be a shocker for Sheena? Not to mention Luserina…
"Yeah… you should." He smirked again, rolling the glass between his palms. "Don't take it personally though. Waging war needs more attention when the best help you can get is a Silverberg not quite up to par with Mathiu and a blonde demon who doesn't even know when someone's making fun of him. Speaking of which, I heard another rumour about you and Yuber."
"Ehh, fair enough," Sheena drawled. He tilted the glass from side to side slightly-- not enough to spill the ale, but just enough to watch the bubbles escape from the side of the dark tinted glass. "I can live with that. Just know, alright? No hard feelings. I know I was a miserable little stain back then, and I don't think I ever properly apologized for what I did, so I'd still like to make it up to you. What do you want? I'll do it. Then it can be water under the bridge 'n we'll try that whole 'friendship' thing someday, maybe, if you feel up to it."
It took Sheena a second to trace back-- what had he actually done to Yuber to illicit any sort of rumors? He hadn't spoken much to the odd-eyed monstrosity in recent months. The last thing he did...
"Look, if you really don't hate me and Yuber's finally put two-and-two together, don't send him my way, alright? I like my head where it is: right on top of my shoulders, thanks. Nobody needs to get killed for any of this, 'cause that's just plain overreacting."
Luc actually paused to think about that, placing the glass back onto the counter and tapping his free hand on its surface.
"I suppose asking you to get rid of the other book I've seen Luserina walk around with is out of the question." He said quietly before letting out a sigh. "Your reputation's involved in that too, you know."
Who knows how many of them even existed at this point. She did speak of a book with a lock… but the book she dropped had no lock. So that would mean at least another one existed aside the first book Luc has seen her writing on that one day.
"Ah… no. I heard around that a young girl apparently thinks you and Yuber have broken up." The wind mage smirked. "It's quite surprising to hear considering I wasn't aware you two were even involved."
It was a double-- no, a TRIPLE-slap of information, and Sheena knocked his glass over in shock. Luckily, with most of the contents already emptied, the spill was minimal, but the bartender gave him a dirty look regardless. The young blonde man spewed apologies as he took the dingy, discolored bar towel from the bartender's hands and sopped up the mess as he apologetically ordered another.
"Why would Luserina be writing something like that?" He hissed, flabbergasted. "And how many are there?! Is there a whole novel series on the," ahem, "'adventures' of...our counterparts?" Sheena paused, momentarily mollified, as a new drink slid across the bar at him, leaving a trail of spilled beer and condensation behind like an alcoholic slug.
"I'm gonna have to run damage control. I'll have to...oh, I don't know, seduce it out of her or something. Or just steal it. I don't know. I'll figure something out. And as for Yuber? What?"
"I don't really even like blondes," he said, one edge of his mouth curved up in a lopsided smirk as he took another drink. As he did, though, his eyes flew open and he set the drink down quickly. "And just to clarify, I mean that as a joke, alright? I don't know why the hell anybody would think that. Probably got some names mixed up somewhere."
Well, that reaction was somewhat expected. At least Sheena was willing to take his request seriously. The thought of those books existing put the wind mage in unease. Had they remained private, at least he wouldn't have to worry about them. But the girl's clumsiness struck, and a good amount of people suddenly knew of the escapades of Luke and Shane.
Gods… where did she get those names?
"I don't know. She doesn't seem to think she's done anything wrong." Luc said simply before draining the rest of his drink and already raising his hand slightly to signal at the bartender who was already looking his way. "If you can get them away from her or convince her to take on some other hobby, it might improve the situation for both of us."
Actually… he was quite thankful that Sarah hadn't heard about this whole incident as of yet. He did secretly hope it remained that way. While the opinion of others about him was useless… his reputation to Sarah actually did mean something. The only 'family' he had left was the one thing he didn't want to be tainted by some lonely young girl's delusions.
"Hey, I just heard about it." He said to Sheena as he gave the bartender a nod after another glass was placed before him. "So don't shoot the messenger. Besides, I think it's much more believable for most sane people to hear that Yuber and Pesmerga are getting along and committing mass genocide in the neighbouring village compared to a rumour that you're dating the blonde. Your only problem now is the fact that the percentage of sane people in this castle seems pretty low."
Oddly enough, the bartender appeared to be nodding his head at them for the comment.
"If you want all these rumours to go away, I think you should finally go out there and ask a girl on a date." He paused. "A local one. So they can all see."
"Y'know, this would be a lot easier if I could get in that dating game or whatever, right? Maybe then I could talk to Luserina about it more easily. You hear about that? I wasn't paying attention before, but now..." With a toast to wasted ideas, Sheena took another drink. He considered what Luc said with a light laugh, muffled by the ale and the glass, and set the glass down before him.
"What, like who? Nobody around here's interested," Sheena scoffed, snorting a loud puff of air from his nose. The glass made a dull "thunk" noise as he flicked his fingernail against the side over and over as he mulled over the possibilities in his slightly addled mind. "I don't think anybody I like is even gonna look my way. I have a bad habit of that, y'know? I like the ones that aren't interested, or already otherwise taken best. Yeah, yeah, I know, boo-hoo-hoo and all that. Just means I'm not looking hard 'nough. I'll ask 'em al!!
"Besides, I think it's getting kinda late with this rumor business. I already got a few of 'em going 'Oh, Sheena, you don't have to try so hard! I understand!' Like, they understand that they think I'm a poof. What'm I supposed to do about that?"
"… Haha… Honestly. That dating game she's playing is nothing but a fickle activity to amuse that little girl further." And he unfortunately confirmed this from his own experience while he pretended to be his brother during the first round of 'dates'. "Who knows… maybe she'll find it more meaningful if you ask her out, outside of the contest. It's not considered cheating and you can't be disqualified if you're not even participating with her game."
"Although…" the wind mage drawled as he raised the glass back to his lips. "That means if she denies you after the first date, you just really fail as a man."
Well, it wasn't so surprising for him to hear that Sheena was having a hard time hitting on the local girls. There was a small amount of them in the castle, and most of them were either married, interested on someone else, or too stupid to know about what's going on around them. And he wouldn't dare volunteer his own care into a relationship with Sheena. At least not if it was on her own will and Sheena assures him that he wouldn't do what rumours state about him and a certain student of Mathiu's…
"… What about one of those Falenan girls? There's quite a few of them, and they all seem available." He mumbled against his drink before placing the cup back down. "You just have to suck it up and prove them wrong. That you're serious about your intentions to date… or something."
Sheena laughed. It was a low, slow chuckle that rose both in pitch and volume as he shook his head, more surprised at himself than anything. He leaned his elbows on the table, crooked his cheek against his hand, and grinned at Luc.
"I never thought I'd see the day that you'd be giving me relationship advice."
…. This was true. Even Luc could agree to this.
"Well, you best follow it with caution if you want to see more in your lifetime." He countered with a smirk. "I might have read that line from a book once, so I don't know how putting it in to practice would do anyone good."
"Don't worry," he said with a grin and a glass to his mouth, "I'm not gonna forget this anytime soon, alright? Hell, all this time and I've been trying to give you pointers! Guess there's a lot to be said about book-smarts, eh? Maybe I shoulda listened to mom more."
Hand still firmly planted on his cheek, he stared down at Luc's hands-- more specifically, to the drink held in them.
"You sure you're feeling alright? Room's not spinning or anything? First time I tried drinking...hah. First time I tried drinking for real, Viktor gave me a swig from that flask he carries 'n I threw up right on the spot. Don't lose your legs out from under you, alright? Gotta make sure you can walk out of here without meeting head-first with the floor!"
Luc paused all movement, visibly this time. He actually hadn't considered that at all. Somehow, the alcohol had not affected much of his senses aside a slight light headedness and a numbing sensation to the tip of his fingers. Then again… he did manage to survive one or two of those cooking contests Hai Yo held as one of the judges…
… Although it was Riou who did the helping, so he didn't think back then to worry about food managing to kill him. Maybe there were advantages to being an artificial being? But he had lost his ability to snap at people on sight since the beginning of this conversation. He didn't even send Sheena away the instant he came by.
"…. If you're asking me to slow down before I get drunk, I think it's a little too late to ask that now." Luc explained simply. "As for how I'm feeling, I think I've felt never better. If I sit here long enough, I'm sure the effects of the alcohol will subside. If it doesn't then…"
He raised the glass and drained the rest of the liquid down.
"Oh well…!
Maybe it would have been better if Luc had found himself in the company of McDohl or someone like him, after all-- it at least would have left the wind mage in the hands of someone with more of a conscience of maintaining a better influence. Sheena laughed again, louder this time, and quietly applauded Luc's newfound bravado.
"I am never going to try to drink you under the table. You've got an extra stomach for this stuff or something! Just...try to drink some water too, at least, or you'll be miserable when your brain shrivels up.
"Just be careful trying to get up! Sometimes you think you're great while you're sitting, but then, BAM!" For emphasis, he slammed his fist down on the surface of the table. The bartender shot him another dirty look, for which Sheena winced apologetically and withdrew his hands under the wooden surface like a schoolchild who had just been reprimanded. He turned again to Luc, suppressing an embarrassed laugh.
"So, Luc. I have a proposition for you. If I get that other diary back..." the blonde paused, mostly for dramatic effect. "If I get it back, you've gotta do this again with me sometime, okay?"
"… Think you can do it?" Luc asked as he tilted the empty cup slightly with his finger just as he caught the eye of the bartender and shook his head to signal that he's had enough for now. "If you think you can actually do it and succeed… I guess I'll think about it."
"What, you gotta give me more than that!" Sheena exclaimed, giving Luc a light mock-punch to the shoulder. "I can't put my neck on the line for a 'maybe!' It's not like it's even a big thing on your end to just try it one more time!"
The wind mage smirked at his reply and placed the cup back to its upright position which the Bartender then took away, just in case.
"Fine, fine. Succeed and we'll do this again." He chuckled. "Bring McDohl too and let's test which of us drops to the floor first."
Although an inch or so of ale still remained in the glass set before Sheena, its contents had been long ignored. With a bright, unabashed smile, he brought a hand forward, extended to Luc.
"Alright, we shake on it. Though...do you think McD's gonna be in for that?"
"Don't know." The wind mage replied as he took the other man's hand without hesitation, though a mischievous glint lingered in his eyes. "But if he refuses, then kidnap his bandanna and he'll come running."
"Ha ha ha, I'll tie it to a bottle of rum and tell him he has to drink it to get it back," Sheena laughed, lingering for a second before he took his hand back. "It's a deal, though, just so you know! No backing out!"
"Yeah yeah…" Luc muttered and he pulled his hand away and placed it back on the table.
At least this was hoping… for Sheena's sake, that he'd remember most of this conversation tomorrow.