Destiny Village ~ X-Eye Cauldron

[Navar]

"Oh."

Shiron looked down. Part of him wondered if the same would happen to him, but this situation wasn't permanent... he would go back home, to that place, with those people. He took a moment to look at himself and sighed.

"...I'm not sure myself. I still remember where I come from, I remember everyone, but... I'm not sure if I miss it."

 

[Namohysip]

Soda smirked a little at that, but then seemed to hide it with an illusion. "I get that, too," he said. "I think Pine has something similar going on, y'know. Not that he ever talks about it, but you can tell. I think one day Pine just didn't go back... or he didn't have a choice, either. Heh. Funny how that works..." It wasn't very funny. Soda took another drink.

 

[Navar]

Instead of answering, Shiron took another drink, slowly putting it down, before letting out a hiccup. He rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"Fair, fair. Don't really have anyone to return to, anyway. Bad parents, no friends, that sorta deal. Kinda makes it hard to miss home. At least here I can do something."

 

[Namohysip]

"Y'know, that's fair too." Soda nodded and took yet another drink, and by now his cup was empty. He shook it toward one of the waiters, who nodded and headed off to get another.

Soon, he returned with another cosmic drink. "To abandoning humanity," he said, raising his new glass.

 

[Navar]

"To abandoning humanity! I guess..." Shiron raised his glass, clicking it with Soda's before drinking the rest of it. After finishing with it, he put the glass down, and stared at it. "Well, uh, thanks for the chat. You're a nice guy."

 

[Namohysip]

"...Tch. It's nothing. We're just sharing something we have in common, I guess." He took another drink and shook off the alcohol with a sighing grunt. "Guess that's where I'm gonna call it for me, too."

 

[Navar]

"I should get back to the dorm," Shiron nodded, yawning again. "This was fun, though, so feel free to hit me up if you want to do this again."

 

[Namohysip]

"Sure." Soda waved Shiron off, watching him go before finally looking at the emptied glass. "Yep... No human to go back to anymore," Soda said to himself. "But at least you have a new home to go back to. Figure that's what you want, too."

He took another long, long look at the glass, moving it along the table absently. He sighed through his nose. He envisioned that little, scared Charmeleon from earlier that day. She just wanted to go home, too. Yeah. That was relatable.

"Fuck," Soda grunted, waving so he can make this payment. "Should check on Cannon."

<><><>

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

[Brisket > Nazo]: hey Celeste, do you want to get that drink we talked about tonight? I'm free all evening technically - Brisa

[Nazo > Brisket]: Ah, sure. I take it that would be at the X-Eye Cauldron?

[Brisket > Naxo]: yeah, that's my regular - see you at 8?

[Nazo > Brisket]: I will see you there, then.

Brisa got to the Cauldron early and was halfway through a brandy before Celeste arrived at the entrance. She cracked a small smile at the appearance of her serious, concerned absol friend. Had she shared a drink with him before? She didn't think so. It was about time.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

When Celeste arrived at the bar, the first thing he noticed was how different it felt from the sort of places he would normally spend time. The mood in these establishments seemed to shift in the evenings. He made his way over to Brisa.

"Hello Brisa, nice to see you alive and well."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Howdy, Celeste. Nice t'be alive an' well, pal."

Brisa put up a paw for service. With her massive new body, it was easy to be noticed, even in the company of some legends. Celeste, meanwhile, was the same as ever. She'd finally just about overtaken him in height. Nice.

"Mulled wine fer me, partner," she told the waiter. "What can I getcha, Celeste?"

Even if drinks weren't on her, they'd be on god squad or the guild, but it still felt good to pay with earnings from colosseum appearances and dungeoneering missions and the like.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Bar culture, and thus the wide variety of drinks it offered, had never managed to take hold back home. Wine was familiar to him, though. He tried to think of what he'd drank before.

"I would like some wine. A Mago, perhaps?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"House mago fer my friend. Thanks."

Somehow, wine seemed fitting for Celeste. He was that kind of fella. Had he been okay while Brisa and the rest had been stuck in the Voidlands? How had he taken their revival? Hopefully this wasn't the sort of thing that would fuck him up too badly.

"I gotta say, I've mostly been asleep since I got revived. Not like me, I know. How, ah... How have you been keepin'?"

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Well, you've been giving yourself some rest, at least. I've been been keeping well enough?"

He tried to think about what kind of things he could talk about with Brisa. Their last conversation was over training. Was that normal bar talk? It was the best thing he could think of.

"I... uhh, figured out what else I can do with Radiance..."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Oh, Celeste was ready to open up about his Radiance? Fucking excellent. That was at one an interesting combat topic, an insight into his character, and an opportunity to bond through the trust in sharing such a thing with her.

"Yeah? Let's hear it, then!"

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"It was shortly after you, err, died. I saw an attack forecasted to hit... Icetales, but I managed to bend it away from him. Towards myself, but I got away before it hit."

It occurred to Celeste that this subject of conversation was veering quickly to territory he wasn't sure if he wanted to go. Oh, why could he not have just asked about the weather?

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

What was it about the way he said the name Icetales...?

"Sounds like a useful technique, considerin' how quick on yer feet you are. You, uh, still uncomfortable with Radiance, or are ya makin' headway on that inhibition of yers?"

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Well..." Celeste paused to take a sip of his drink before answering, which doubled as a moment to think. "Not really. It hasn't gotten any better, and I still prefer being in my right mind. Still makes me feel feral, don't want to mess up while I'm like that." Again.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa shrugged off the word with a scoff. It kept coming up, in so many contexts...

"Ain't nothin' wrong with bein' feral," she said, quickly.

Celeste hadn't mentioned the word to her before now, though. And judging by what 'feral' meant when applied to a 'mon like Leg...

"...'Less it means somethin' different on yer world? I've . . . been findin' that."

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Well, there's nothing wrong with it, but I certainly appreciate higher thought and proper use of language. Temporary loss of that can also lead to... complications. What's 'feral' mean to you?"