sir rictor cassul, korporal. (templars) wrote in emillion, |
Mag's expression mirrored Rictor's. Vile was indeed an apt word to describe what they'd just drunk, and yet, she didn't protest when Rictor ordered their second shots of the stuff. Perhaps this time she'd be able to discern if this unknown liquor possessed any sort of taste underlying the tang of pure undiluted alcohol. "Sweet Faram's china doll collection," she swore after they downed their second shots. If that liquor had ever had a taste of its own, it had long since drowned in the alcohol and gone on to a life beyond this world. "What fruit is this even distilled from? Does pure alcohol grow on trees?" However, she waved the bartender over and asked him to just leave the bottle at their table; there seemed to be about enough liquor left for two more rounds of shots. "Now that I know what this tastes like, I feel honorbound to spare the other patrons," she said to Rictor by way of explanation. Nodding, Mag answered, "I know Kiernan, yes. We've been friends for about..." she ticked off fingers on one hand, "almost six years now. I met him way back when Lucy breathed fire at him as something other than a show of affection." She grinned. "I was in the Dragon Riders some years ago, too. Left before he joined, though." Mag didn't relish discussing this with people she'd just met, but she figured if she wanted to know about Rictor, it was only fair to volunteer some information about herself in return. "I left some time after meeting your sister." Bringing up Aspel would surely pique Rictor's interest, as Aspel was what they had in common. Rictor confirmed Mag's suspicions that the bouncers had indeed required a bribe to allow Kiernan inside. She couldn't imagine they'd have forgotten about his various transgressions so soon. "Ah, I'm sure Kiernan will survive the night without starting a brawl. All the chairs are occupied." She was joking, of course. He could still start a fight by punching someone, but Mag did not think Kiernan would start anything at a friend's birthday party, unless he was provoked, in which case she wouldn't blame him and may even get up to help -- if she could even get up when they were done with the bottle on the table. * The unusual choice of profanity made him burst into laughter (but then again, perhaps it was the already-encroaching effect of near-pure alcohol, an abominably high proof with a chemical afterburn). It reminded him of a slightly less innocent Drake. For now, the bottle sat between them on the table like their armament, a monolith, a bridge to this new connection. Ric listened to the woman’s biographical details with a polite nod, then another. “So you met Aspel... what, like five years ago?” The man straightened in his seat, now paying closer attention. His suspicions had been correct: a friend Aspel would bring to her own brother’s birthday as her plus-one was indeed a close one. The Armoury had been around for about five years, he knew that. Which meant that must have been about the time she settled in Emillion— Which meant Mag was now, officially, the only person he’d met who had known Aspel Cassul the longest. “You two must be pretty close.” * The mention of Aspel's name got Rictor's attention, as Mag had expected it to. From what Aspel had told Mag about her siblings, it seemed they were still walking on eggshells around each other, unsure where they stood. This must be the reason Rictor hadn't excused himself to go talk to his friends; he wanted to hear more about Aspel, and would not ask Aspel herself, so Mag was his next-best source of information. "More like six years. I met your sister before she came to Emillion, and moved here some time after she did." She did not mention that she'd met Aspel on a job. The reasons that Aspel had been working in Ordalia as a mercenary were not Mag's to disclose. "Aspel is my closest friend." That was no secret. Mag held no qualms about answering Rictor's questions; that he was interested in Aspel's life indicated that he wanted to become closer to her, which was something Mag knew Aspel desired as well. However, Mag did want answers to some of her own questions. "What about you? You haven't been in Emillion that long, have you?" |