The tavern half used to get really full a lot when the chef was in. I'm used to serving a few people at a time. [ you're lucky it wasn't mumford and sons like i gave yaywon. he will turn and grab a glass though and a few bottles. ]
No, it does. [ he's already getting to work, talking as he mixes and measures. ] Something that has a bite to it, but it's smooth enough you can't actually taste the bitterness of it. A good bartender knows how flavor profiles work and what blends best with what. You wouldn't be the first person to request something similar from me.
Yeah. I like keeping my hands busy? And it's nice to talk to people and learn what they might like and see what I can do. Like... it's something I'm actually good at.
[ with the implication being he doesn't think there's much else he is. ]
[Ooooooo, Jonas!!!!! Jumps over the counter and smooches him (no). But this is his aesthetic, thank you. His feelings are like animal crossing flowers.]
Thank you.
[He has a sip. It's good...]
You fail to realize how idiotic you can be even as a wizard, trust me. It's at least studying spellwork, f anything. Much like you study drinks and people.
[ NO MORE SMOOCHES!! but yes you're welcome, he thought essek would like something aesthetically appealing in addition to being delicious. his emotional vibe is just very gently pleased. ]
I mean I can probably guess. If you don't get the spellwork right, you can probably screw up pretty bad. Like... trying to turn a rabbit into a cat and getting a lizard instead. Or something. [ scritches for frumpkin. ]
[He seems amused in a fond way of this incredibly nicer, if young, way of thinking about magic.]
I'm afraid a lizard would be the least of your concerns in botching magic. You could very well scramble your entire existence. Explode. Split your mind.
[He smiles, and it isn't malicious, but it is a bit dark.]
Anyhow, just because I prefer solitude doesn't mean you are wrong for enjoying the company of others or that I get what I want on most occasions.
I think I can also do that on my own without magic, but uh. Fair point. My powers aren't exactly anything like that but... sometimes I think if I'm not really intentional with what I'm doing I could really screw stuff up. But magic should be powerful. Otherwise just anyone can do it.
[ he goes about fixing a drink for himself as he talks... ]
Right. Don't you have a whole group of people you're working with or something like that? [ an assumption. ] I think I've had enough solitude for a while, but... I don't know. Sometimes being around too many people feels bad, too? Depends on the day. But I think I'd prefer it anyway.
[Raising both brows at Jonas because of the first sentence. Can we please chill out? You are small and squishy, thanks. "He's God." Small and squishy.]
How's your love life?
[He really just slams this on Jonas out of nowhere, but he has his gaze on Jonas watchfully. Even if he is sort of relaxed and not saying it to make things awkward.
[ he finishes mixing what he was working on (much simpler and a little stronger than what essek has), and he leans on the bar a little as he assesses him briefly. ]
Yeah, uh. Straits are dire out there and stuff. I've heard a lot of terrible situations already. [ a lil sippy... ]
Wanna talk about it? Sounds kind of annoying on your end. [ he is but a humble bartender here to listen.... ]
[Okay, bartender ass. You have your own trash fire apparently.
He props his face in his palm once again, frowning.]
It's fine... I have accepted what it is for the most part. I understand - nothing can be promised in places like this. Some people have others to return to, battles, deaths, anything. And there is someone back home anyway...
[A glance at Frumpkin briefly.]
I suppose I will take my three technical, gentle rejections and simply be glad I have had the nerve to meet the people I have met and move on.
That was always a point of contention in Heaven. Because I couldn't guarantee them a way to travel between worlds, a lot of them had to make hard decisions where to go and who to stay with. It upset a lot of them, and I do understand why. Meeting people you click with in a way like that can be rare. So the idea of losing them is... painful. Not that it's easier for the other person, I'm sure. It's always the age old question of duty versus love. Even if you have someone maybe waiting for you... people and things change.
Three though? [ a little ping of sympathy. ] You're sure they were rejections and not just pauses? I think that's a good and safe way to look at it. Being glad you met at all. But it still doesn't make it easier in the moment, right?
He shakes his head, looking away, not out of humiliation but idle thoughtfulness.]
I'm sure. One was because he already had someone. Which is fine. I am glad. I care for that person, too. One was because he was only looking for something casual. That I understand. There isn't anything wrong with that. The other one is... well, dead, I suppose, and so there is no point in pursuing anything because of it.
Who knows - I will likely be dead soon as well. Which is also an issue. I had started... thinking it was me, honestly. I was the problem. I think Jae-ha is the only man who has been straight-forward with me which makes me hate him all the more.
And then, [He looks back. The vibes are everything is a trash fire with him as well. Wahoo!] there is Anders. I am not sure what to do about Anders.
I mean... if one of them is here are they actually dead? [ but he digresses. ] I can't even think of who you are talking about right now. I mean I know Anders but the rest... [ the emotion of curiosity. ]
I'm gonna guess Jae-Ha wanted casual? [ ... ] What do you mean you'll also be dead soon? What the hell is happening? [ but there is a sigh. ] To be fair I don't know if Anders knows what to do about Anders. His relationship kinda fell apart in Heaven and he's been trying to work through stuff but... he tries.
We're not done talking about you. [ which is to say he'll uphold his end of the deal but LISTEN. ]
He tries not to laugh about the Anders thing, has to bite his lip for it. He's not trying to be mean to Anders, but the way Jonas says it is funny is all.]
Jae-ha is a free spirit in both movement and love. [Jonas being full of questions is amusing.] I came here... right before what I assume will be a terrible battle. My friends and I were preparing for a fight with... Lucien, a man who has access to... [A shake of his head.] Unprecedented power. I don't think we'll make it out alive.
[Actually, I just realized that Jonas's weird fucking alien ghost shit and Lucien's weird fucking Aeor shit have extremely similar vibes.]
...I will tell you who, but only if you promise not to let them know I told you. I don't want them to feel harassed just because of me. Not... that you'd harass them, just... You know.
[ sometimes you are a fool and do not think about how things sound. but he does sort of frown because battle? also didn't rosamund mention a lucien... as a guy who dated viktor... this whole cross-dimensional thing is fucking weird, he's trying not to think too hard about it. ]
... you can only be as prepared as you can be. For your sake, I hope you do. But I think at least you won't go out without your best effort. [ it's just that sometimes things are more powerful than your best effort.
he's fine moving away from this topic though for a moment. ]
Essek. What kind of a bartender do you think I am that would spill the things people have said to me in confidence?
[The way no one has told him about Lucien being in space at all, and so he thinks nothing of it. He remains unaware the man can be domesticated, and will go at exactly as Jonas has advised.]
Well, [a short, quiet laugh,] I haven't been to very many taverns really.
[He is just kidding. Not about the bar virginity, but about giving Jonas some hell for being called out.]
I know. I'm just... I don't want to make it any harder for them. [Or for himself. It takes him a moment to look up, and then he looks away slightly anyway.] Aventurine, Wriothesley, and Childe.
[ please don't die and have fun, he guesses. there's a short little grin because he does recognize the joke. ]
I get it. It's stuff between you guys, but... sometimes an outside perspective can help. [ except those sure are three names and he just sort of blinks slowly. ] ... wait all of them?
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What're we drinking today?
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He folds one arm on the bar and uses the other to prop his head up in his palm.]
Maybe something a tad harder, but not something I can taste all the hard necessarily...? That probably makes no sense.
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Yes, thank you.
[He has a lot of manners at least. He will watch Jonas work because it's interesting.]
Have you been enjoying being a bartender for more people here?
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[ with the implication being he doesn't think there's much else he is. ]
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We are entirely opposite in any of this regard. I do not like talking to most people usually. I do prefer study...
[Whether using hands in spell work for not. HE SEES YOUR STUPID IMPLICATION.]
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[ presents him with a berry cosmopolitan ]
Though I guess studying isn't so bad if it's something you like doing.
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Thank you.
[He has a sip. It's good...]
You fail to realize how idiotic you can be even as a wizard, trust me. It's at least studying spellwork, f anything. Much like you study drinks and people.
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I mean I can probably guess. If you don't get the spellwork right, you can probably screw up pretty bad. Like... trying to turn a rabbit into a cat and getting a lizard instead. Or something. [ scritches for frumpkin. ]
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I'm afraid a lizard would be the least of your concerns in botching magic. You could very well scramble your entire existence. Explode. Split your mind.
[He smiles, and it isn't malicious, but it is a bit dark.]
Anyhow, just because I prefer solitude doesn't mean you are wrong for enjoying the company of others or that I get what I want on most occasions.
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[ he goes about fixing a drink for himself as he talks... ]
Right. Don't you have a whole group of people you're working with or something like that? [ an assumption. ] I think I've had enough solitude for a while, but... I don't know. Sometimes being around too many people feels bad, too? Depends on the day. But I think I'd prefer it anyway.
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How's your love life?
[He really just slams this on Jonas out of nowhere, but he has his gaze on Jonas watchfully. Even if he is sort of relaxed and not saying it to make things awkward.
It's fine?]
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On fire. [ dry. ] Why, do you need the gossip for an achievement?
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No. So is mine.
[Which is why when he got back, he had a feeling they were going through a similar experience. Yay!!]
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What. [ is this about anders. is essek cursed already. there are multiple things that could be happening here. ] ... how bad?
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The gravity of many people's situations here are not... great. You know, outside of here. Mine included.
Anyhow, it is annoying how many men will show interest in you and then give you absolutely nothing nor be upfront about it without being interrogated.
[It's bad.]
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Yeah, uh. Straits are dire out there and stuff. I've heard a lot of terrible situations already. [ a lil sippy... ]
Wanna talk about it? Sounds kind of annoying on your end. [ he is but a humble bartender here to listen.... ]
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He props his face in his palm once again, frowning.]
It's fine... I have accepted what it is for the most part. I understand - nothing can be promised in places like this. Some people have others to return to, battles, deaths, anything. And there is someone back home anyway...
[A glance at Frumpkin briefly.]
I suppose I will take my three technical, gentle rejections and simply be glad I have had the nerve to meet the people I have met and move on.
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Three though? [ a little ping of sympathy. ] You're sure they were rejections and not just pauses? I think that's a good and safe way to look at it. Being glad you met at all. But it still doesn't make it easier in the moment, right?
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[God. Like, literally.
He shakes his head, looking away, not out of humiliation but idle thoughtfulness.]
I'm sure. One was because he already had someone. Which is fine. I am glad. I care for that person, too. One was because he was only looking for something casual. That I understand. There isn't anything wrong with that. The other one is... well, dead, I suppose, and so there is no point in pursuing anything because of it.
Who knows - I will likely be dead soon as well. Which is also an issue. I had started... thinking it was me, honestly. I was the problem. I think Jae-ha is the only man who has been straight-forward with me which makes me hate him all the more.
And then, [He looks back. The vibes are everything is a trash fire with him as well. Wahoo!] there is Anders. I am not sure what to do about Anders.
Anyway - how is yours going?
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I'm gonna guess Jae-Ha wanted casual? [ ... ] What do you mean you'll also be dead soon? What the hell is happening? [ but there is a sigh. ] To be fair I don't know if Anders knows what to do about Anders. His relationship kinda fell apart in Heaven and he's been trying to work through stuff but... he tries.
We're not done talking about you. [ which is to say he'll uphold his end of the deal but LISTEN. ]
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He tries not to laugh about the Anders thing, has to bite his lip for it. He's not trying to be mean to Anders, but the way Jonas says it is funny is all.]
Jae-ha is a free spirit in both movement and love. [Jonas being full of questions is amusing.] I came here... right before what I assume will be a terrible battle. My friends and I were preparing for a fight with... Lucien, a man who has access to... [A shake of his head.] Unprecedented power. I don't think we'll make it out alive.
[Actually, I just realized that Jonas's weird fucking alien ghost shit and Lucien's weird fucking Aeor shit have extremely similar vibes.]
...I will tell you who, but only if you promise not to let them know I told you. I don't want them to feel harassed just because of me. Not... that you'd harass them, just... You know.
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... you can only be as prepared as you can be. For your sake, I hope you do. But I think at least you won't go out without your best effort. [ it's just that sometimes things are more powerful than your best effort.
he's fine moving away from this topic though for a moment. ]
Essek. What kind of a bartender do you think I am that would spill the things people have said to me in confidence?
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Well, [a short, quiet laugh,] I haven't been to very many taverns really.
[He is just kidding. Not about the bar virginity, but about giving Jonas some hell for being called out.]
I know. I'm just... I don't want to make it any harder for them. [Or for himself. It takes him a moment to look up, and then he looks away slightly anyway.] Aventurine, Wriothesley, and Childe.
[Why is it fucking Hoyoverses.]
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I get it. It's stuff between you guys, but... sometimes an outside perspective can help. [ except those sure are three names and he just sort of blinks slowly. ] ... wait all of them?
[ WHY IS IT FUCKING HOYOVERSES. ]
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