driftfleet | Huntress Mingle!

I'm sure I'll regret this, but sure.

I'll be in the Huntress lounge.

[Still kind of sulking with a book, but at least with a bin of ice cream chilling in an ice bucket nearby now.]

get sum water ready then!!

[And some carb-heavy foods, which he can bring. He does have to think of what will go well with ice cream though. His go-to of vodka and whiskey are a little too harsh. But chocolate liqueur? Fuck yeah. Bailey's? Deffo.

He just has to steal a bottle or two from the bar and?

About 30 minutes later, he shows up in the lounge though. Ten minutes late, but with a bag of french fries in one hand and two (mostly) full bottles of liqueur in the other. He's going to inject some cheer into Mikleo's shitty life if he has to get alcohol poisoning to do it.]

Fuckin'! Time to get lit and forget your troubles!

[But... he's a water seraph, why would he have to- sigh. Alright, he'll cross that bridge if they come to it.

It's a good thing he is a water seraph, though, because otherwise the ice cream would definitely have melted by then. He looks up and tucks a mark into his book when Taako arrives, looking... well, mostly confused, but at least not bawling his eyes out.]

I'm not sure that's how it actually works, but okay.

One of two ways: you either get so drunk you cry it out or you get so drunk you black out and forget for a bit.

Either way?

[He drops the bag of fries on the table and then plops the two liqueur bottles right next to it.]

You get drunk and sort it out later.

[Mikleo sets his book aside and leans in to look, squinting at Taako's offering. Not that he doesn't appreciate it, but...]

Fries? With ice cream?

Uh ch'yeah? Have you never dipped fries in a milkshake before? It's amazing.

[He flops down onto the couch next to Mikleo and cracks the two bottles of liqueur open, weighing which one to start working on first.]

You wanna get coffee drunk or chocolate drunk?

I can't say I have.

[Oh well, he'll give it a try. What's the worst that can happen?]

Chocolate, I think. I'm not much of a coffee drinker.

Where are your cups then because we're making boozy milkshakes up in here!

[He grabs the bottle of chocolate liqueur and jumps up, heading toward the kitchen.]

Bring the cold stuff! You're better at that.

[Wh- oh, we're moving? We're moving. Okay.

Wth a quiet sigh Mikleo drags himself off the couch, following Taako with the ice cream bucket in hand. Let's... see where this goes.]

There should be fresh milk still in the fridge...

[As soon as he's in the kitchen, Taako is in the fridge, rooting around. He grabs the milk and sets it on the counter, then starts rummaging through the cupboards hoping to find a blender.]

Get the two biggest cups you have. Fuck, we can drink out of vases if we have to. I'm making us some amazing shakes as big as your head.

I don't think vases are necessary. Even if we did have them.

[Most of the flowers and plants here grow naturally on board, left alone in their soil. It's more natural like that, and for seraphim, that bit's important.

He does do as requested, though, heading for the right cupboard and offering up two of the largest available mugs to Taako.]

[Blender acquired, he plunks it down on the counter and starts popping open the liqueur and the milk.

Then he grabs the mugs and sets them down a little more carefully before he starts pouring way more chocolate liqueur into the blender than is probably considered safe for a person's liver. Good thing neither of them are strictly human or entirely mortal. As he adds in a bit of milk, he motions for Mikleo to start scooping the ice cream in.]

You haven't lived until you've gotten so drunk you chug it out of a vase, Mickey. That's when you know the party's poppin' off.

[Evidently there really is no escaping that nickname... drawing attention to it will only make it worse, though, so he rolls his eyes and ignores it. Instead he ventures over and starts adding the ice cream to the mugs. He's made milkshakes plenty of times before - only the alcohol part is new - so at least this is familiar.]

I don't actually have that much party experience, believe it or not.

[As Mikleo loads the cups with ice cream, Taako holds a hand to his chest, trying his best to put on a semblance of shock. Which he thinks he does a pretty good job with!]

Say it ain't so, Ghosty-boy! I never would have guessed!

[Except for the part where he can't keep the mockery out of his voice.

It was a good try.

With the main ingredient in, he grabs the blender and gives each one a quick shot through to mix it, but not enough to thin it out. The thick consistency is going to be important for maximum fry dippage.]

We'll just have to change that. Maybe I can get you to chug it straight out of the bottle even.

Is being drunk just an excuse for acting irresponsibly?

[Because if so, no wonder Zaveid was such a fan of the stuff.]

More like a direct cause of having fun?

[And yes, acting irresponsibly.

He pulses the blender a few more times until he gets the thickness he wants, then pours them into the waiting mugs, determined not to waste a single drop.]

And I need some fun. [And, more importantly, Mikleo needs it.] This whole thing has been absolutely shitty from beginning to end and I'm done with it.

[Taako slides a mug toward Mikleo and raises his with a grin.]

So? Here's to not thinking today.

[Mikleo hesitates, then raises his own glass in solidarity.]

Not thinking... that would be nice, yeah.

[Then he takes a long sip! ...And his lips immediately curve into a slight grimace, leaning away. The milkshake helps with the taste, definitely, but...]

Is it supposed to burn like that?

[Taako takes a drink and laughs at Mikleo's face.]

Have you never had alcohol before? Of course it burns a little. I made these strong as fuck on purpose.

I don't, um. I haven't had much opportunity or reason to... I'm not very old, actually.

[Tentatively he takes another sip and- augh, burns just like the first time. And this is good??]

Oh shit.

[Taako stops suddenly, looking at Mikleo. He could have sworn...???]

Did I just commit some kinda felony by giving alcohol to a minor?

I'm not a minor!

[Practically as an act of rebellion, he takes another swig of the milkshake.]

I'm... probably 20 or 21 by now. I just mean I'm not old for a seraph.

Oh thank the gods. The last thing I need is that on my conscience.

[It already suffers so much on its own.

With the mugs filled though, Taako pops back off the counter and starts wandering back toward the lounge where they left the fries. He tucks the bottle of booze under his arm as he continues the conversation while he walks.]

Didn't realize seraphs could be babies. What's going on with that?

[Mikleo is quiet for a long moment, leaning against the counter and nursing his mug as he stares down into it. Maybe alcohol really does loosen one's lips- normally he'd prefer to dance around the topic, but today's been weird enough already. What does it even matter anymore?]

Depends on how they're born. Most emerge from their element as adults, or close enough to it to survive on their own. On rare occasions, humans who die are reborn as seraphim, as whatever age they died.

[He's halfway out of the kitchen when Mikleo goes and lays that on him. Judging by how old Mikleo is and the whole "I grew up with Sorey" thing?

Yeah, he can guess which one happened to him and it brings Taako to a full halt, his mug halfway to his mouth.]

...Uh...didn't expect you to lay the truth down like that. I guess, sorry? To hear that? I mean, you got a second chance, so not really all that sorry, but uh....yeah?

No, it's fine.

[Another swig of milkshake, followed by a long sigh.]

It's not as if I remember it. I only found out about all of that kind of recently, though, so it's still... weird... to talk about. Like telling a story about someone else. [a beat.] I guess it is. Whoever human Mikleo was would've been a lot different from how I am.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject