"How bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man’s eyes!"
This is post for sim_spiration . It takes place in the near future. The kids are now adults. Eustace and Ripp are visiting Evie for the first time since college.
Veronaville had a number of tourist bars and Eustace had been to every one at one point in time or another. There was Falstaff's, who claimed to make the best boilermaker in town (they didn't); Peaseblossom Pub, which specialized in girly drinks with kitschy names like "Sweet-n-Sorrows"; and, of course, the famous Balcony Nightclub and Karaoke bar, with three stories of dance clubs overlooking a majestic garden.
Eustace was not going to any of those bars. He was halfway down a dark street to meet Mercutio at The Happy Dagger. The Happy Dagger was decidedly not a tourist bar and Eustace didn't quite understand why he found himself drawn to it when neither Ripp or Evie had had any interest. Earlier, Mercutio certainly seemed enthusiastic enough for all four of them.
"There are supernatural bars in every major city or township. Club Crypt-o-Night is the most touristy, but you can find the other ones if you know who to ask. Hell, there's even one near Strangetown. Brendans…Brandons…something. Oh, you must go to a supes bar sometime, lovies. There is nothing like it. You're surrounded by the eternal, the unknown-"
"Merc, stop selling the dark side to these two." Evangeline said, gesturing to Ripp and Eustace. "The last thing they need is to be run out on a rail because of you."
Ripp gave a worn smile, "Don't look at me. I'm looking forward to a nice evening in-"
"Are there vampires?" Eustace asked.
"Oh God, Eustace, you're getting as bad as Uncle Dean-"
"Are there?" he persisted.
Mercutio's lips curled into Cheshire grin, "Vampires, weres, witches, and fairies." He winked, "Both kinds. All that and more."
It was a mere couple of hours later that he was strutting through the door into the windowless Happy Dagger. It didn't seem particularly different than other bars until you looked closer at the clientele. Pale faces looked up at him through ruby eyes. The bartender was putting some kind of whammy on the tip jar. A zingari woman was trying to sell a pink potion to a sad looking girl at the bar and it was abundantly clear that a few of the men weren't sporting the Wolverine look for just fashion.
Finally, after a few moments of wide-eyed reverie, Eustace spotted Mercutio at the corner table, lounging like a rock star with one leg on the table. His eyes were bloodshot and his skin considerably paler than it had been at the hotel.
Eustace pointed a playful finger in Merc's direction "Good God! You are already three sheets! And what the hell is that on your neck? Is that a hickey?"
Mercutio grinned, carefully avoiding the last question by gesturing to the empty glasses on the table. "I have only had this many. Now, Eustace Whedonberry, come sit your ass down and enjoy this fine eve."
Eustace laughed uncomfortably, "Dude, holy mother, dude! Dude, this place is totally on the up and up. Those are totally werewolves-"
"Let's watch terminology there, mate. You have no idea how PC this world can get."
Eustace lowered his voice, "They don't like being called 'werewolves'?"
"They don't like being called out more than anything else. Where's my dear Ripley?" Mercutio asked, noting Eustace's eyes flickering away at the question.
"Catching up."
"You are pissed at him, aren't you?"
"What? No………………….For what?"
Mercutio's lips gave a mocking pout,"I dunno. For successfully managing to shag your sister. For not shagging you. I don't know-"
"NO! Ew! Seriously, for both of those things, ew. They are not sleeping together. They are just friends. And, most importantly, I do NOT want to 'shag' Ripp."
"Fine. For being happy, then." Mercutio said the words matter-of-factly despite nearly choking on them.
"What? Why would you-"
Mercutio took another sip of his drink, "I recognize the look, mate. You can't hide it. Friends, lovers, whatever they are, they're content to be near each other. We're not content to be anywhere. There's too much 'other' piled up. We are too full glasses on a white table cloth and no one can touch us, lest we spill and stain everything around us."
Eustace let his words sit in his brain as he sipped his ale.
"If your 'glass is too full', how do you empty it?"
"A little at a time, Eustace." Mercutio pulled down his collar to reveal two perfect punctures in the center of what Eustace thought was a hickey. "A little at a time."
Veronaville had a number of tourist bars and Eustace had been to every one at one point in time or another. There was Falstaff's, who claimed to make the best boilermaker in town (they didn't); Peaseblossom Pub, which specialized in girly drinks with kitschy names like "Sweet-n-Sorrows"; and, of course, the famous Balcony Nightclub and Karaoke bar, with three stories of dance clubs overlooking a majestic garden.
Eustace was not going to any of those bars. He was halfway down a dark street to meet Mercutio at The Happy Dagger. The Happy Dagger was decidedly not a tourist bar and Eustace didn't quite understand why he found himself drawn to it when neither Ripp or Evie had had any interest. Earlier, Mercutio certainly seemed enthusiastic enough for all four of them.
"There are supernatural bars in every major city or township. Club Crypt-o-Night is the most touristy, but you can find the other ones if you know who to ask. Hell, there's even one near Strangetown. Brendans…Brandons…something. Oh, you must go to a supes bar sometime, lovies. There is nothing like it. You're surrounded by the eternal, the unknown-"
"Merc, stop selling the dark side to these two." Evangeline said, gesturing to Ripp and Eustace. "The last thing they need is to be run out on a rail because of you."
Ripp gave a worn smile, "Don't look at me. I'm looking forward to a nice evening in-"
"Are there vampires?" Eustace asked.
"Oh God, Eustace, you're getting as bad as Uncle Dean-"
"Are there?" he persisted.
Mercutio's lips curled into Cheshire grin, "Vampires, weres, witches, and fairies." He winked, "Both kinds. All that and more."
It was a mere couple of hours later that he was strutting through the door into the windowless Happy Dagger. It didn't seem particularly different than other bars until you looked closer at the clientele. Pale faces looked up at him through ruby eyes. The bartender was putting some kind of whammy on the tip jar. A zingari woman was trying to sell a pink potion to a sad looking girl at the bar and it was abundantly clear that a few of the men weren't sporting the Wolverine look for just fashion.
Finally, after a few moments of wide-eyed reverie, Eustace spotted Mercutio at the corner table, lounging like a rock star with one leg on the table. His eyes were bloodshot and his skin considerably paler than it had been at the hotel.
Eustace pointed a playful finger in Merc's direction "Good God! You are already three sheets! And what the hell is that on your neck? Is that a hickey?"
Mercutio grinned, carefully avoiding the last question by gesturing to the empty glasses on the table. "I have only had this many. Now, Eustace Whedonberry, come sit your ass down and enjoy this fine eve."
Eustace laughed uncomfortably, "Dude, holy mother, dude! Dude, this place is totally on the up and up. Those are totally werewolves-"
"Let's watch terminology there, mate. You have no idea how PC this world can get."
Eustace lowered his voice, "They don't like being called 'werewolves'?"
"They don't like being called out more than anything else. Where's my dear Ripley?" Mercutio asked, noting Eustace's eyes flickering away at the question.
"Catching up."
"You are pissed at him, aren't you?"
"What? No………………….For what?"
Mercutio's lips gave a mocking pout,"I dunno. For successfully managing to shag your sister. For not shagging you. I don't know-"
"NO! Ew! Seriously, for both of those things, ew. They are not sleeping together. They are just friends. And, most importantly, I do NOT want to 'shag' Ripp."
"Fine. For being happy, then." Mercutio said the words matter-of-factly despite nearly choking on them.
"What? Why would you-"
Mercutio took another sip of his drink, "I recognize the look, mate. You can't hide it. Friends, lovers, whatever they are, they're content to be near each other. We're not content to be anywhere. There's too much 'other' piled up. We are too full glasses on a white table cloth and no one can touch us, lest we spill and stain everything around us."
Eustace let his words sit in his brain as he sipped his ale.
"If your 'glass is too full', how do you empty it?"
"A little at a time, Eustace." Mercutio pulled down his collar to reveal two perfect punctures in the center of what Eustace thought was a hickey. "A little at a time."