cursed

“Fuckin’ nobles.”

“I fucking hate parties.”

Ade chuckled, the sound coming deep from within his chest, as he shook his head and ran a hand down his face. Oh, this man. How he’s missed his company, as awful as it was enjoyable. “No you never were,” he agreed, the grin falling from his face when the man honest to gods said he thought he’d had a piece of bread for his last meal.

“A piece of bread isn’t a meal, and you damn well know it. And as for your beard and bathing habits those can be fixed. But first you’re eating something, whether you want to or not.” With that said, the younger man reached over and snagged the mug from between the other’s fingers, sliding it behind his back along the bar and signaling for a barmaid, half an eye on the other man, smirking. At the mention of their last encounter like this, the darker man laughed again, smile mischievous.

“Flustered I may have been but if it gets you to stop smelling like a skunk that’s rolled around in it’s own piss then I’ll strip you and shove you into the tub myself. Besides, your clothes could do for a change as well. Now, eat,” he commanded, knuckles knocking at the bowl that had been set in front of him, waiting for the man to pick up the spoon that had come with it with a raised eyebrow, brokering no argument.

“It is too a meal!”  He cried defensively.  His dark brows furrowed as he stared over at Ade, crossing his arms.  However when he crossed his arms, he actually got a whiff of himself and...grimaced.  Druid’s ass, I smell like shit. 

He begrudgingly sighed.  “Bah. Fine.  I’ll eat.”  He picked up the wooded spoon and started to gingerly spoon some soup in his mouth, but after the first bite, he was scarfing it down like he hadn’t eaten in years.  Through bites, he muttered, “I hate it when you’re right.”  But Ade was usually right, always taking care of him and babying him.  In reality, he loved the man, but on the outside, he never showed it enough.  He’d have to do something nice for him.

“As much fun as that was, I think I can take a bath without you this time, mother.”  He smiled, wiping his mouth with his sleeve like the living napkin he was.  “Ah...I suppose I should say thank you.  Now normally, I’d follow that with a ‘I should,’ but this time, I will actually say it.  Thank you, Ade.  You’re really too good to me.”

Ade weaved his way through the crowd of the Two Bucks Inn easily, the more familiar faces there nodding to him as he passed by. He was a stable fixture now, much as he didn’t think himself to be. These people depended upon them, the Wardens, to fix what had been broken and right their wrongs. And, honestly, he just wanted a drink without having to stop and smile and nod every two seconds.

His eyes caught on a frame he remembered vaguely from his time on the Isles, after he’d left the place that had been his home for more than a decade, before the Shadow had called him back here to these people, this group. He missed it dearly, his home, but he knew they needed him here, as much as he didn’t necessarily want to be needed. But, thus was his life now.

The frown on the other man’s face was amusing, to say the least, as was his feeble attempt at a lie. “No, it isn’t. You look like shit, by the way. Have you bathed, or eaten? Had anything but that ale?” Ade nodded to the one he saw nestled in between the other’s, larger, hands. It was most likely not his first, with the way he looked. Ade leaned against the bartop and refused the questioning look the bartender threw him. The drink could wait, for now. First, he needed to get this man to bathe.

“Well, I never was a good liar, was I?”  Bryn scowled briefly, but he was genuinely happy to see Ade.  It had been so long, and the man had been always a comfort for him.  “I think I had a piece of bread yesterday,” he mused quietly, genuinely unsure of his last meal.  “As for bathing, do you think I had time to?  I was traveling most of the time.  Though, I did manage to find a creek a few days back.  It’s why the beard isn’t quite so...”  He gestured to said beard, but it still looked quite haggard and rough.  

“Mm.”  Bryn grunted, his catchall symbol for ‘I’m finished. You can speak now.’  Personable, he was not.  But, he had certain good things about him...Whatever they were.

“You’re not going to physically bathe me like you did last time are you?  That was horribly embarrassing for both of us.  I’m sure neither of us want to see my bare ass again.”  He raised his eyebrows and cracked an uncharacteristically bright smile.  ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so flustered.”

I’m back in Eldris.

Though I hardly believe you care.

BRYNJOLF EVENT AESTHETIC

“Yes, it is. By me.” Thalia had been drinking heavily. The Quest of slaying the Leviathan had been a lot to handle. Her companion was a trying woman and she had nearly been killed again. The stench of sea breeze still lingered in her blonde locks. She hadn’t bothered to bath away the evidence she had been to the ocean, she had only just returned. She needed ale before a bath. 

“You look like hell.” She noted his ale stench from across the room. She planned to get wasted as well. “You new? I ain’t seen you around but I been on an errand so…” She rolled her eyes and tipped her glass to pour the remainder of ale down her throat. “Next rounds on me mister sunshine.”

She tapped her fingers of her injured hand against the table rhythmically. The wound probably needed stitches but Thalia needed Ale more than medical attention. Eva would probably scold her for her lack of priority.

Bryn gave up after that.  If the woman wanted his company, she’d soon regret it.  He wasn’t very good at conversing.  He just took another drink of his ale and fiddled with his gloves.  They had holes in them.  He needed new ones, but he liked these too much.

“Thanks.”  He did look like hell.  Most people just had the decency not to mention it.  But Bryn never cared about how he looked.  He never really cared about anything, honestly.  Save for a few, less than important things.  “New enough.  Just joined.”  He shrugged when she offered to buy him the next round, staying silent and rather morose instead of mirroring her...tenacity.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d stay or how long the chairs around him had been empty.  Until it wasn’t.  He glanced up after a moment, frowning at the face he saw.

“Seat’s taken,” he lied.