realityshifted | ☼ eight ☼

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meridian uprising (d1) eithan paine

☼ eight ☼

[Things were calm for Eithan before, but they sure as hell aren't anymore... and that much is obvious if anyone happens to see him in the bar.

He's sitting on the floor, actually - back to the wall, knees up. There's also a huge, open bottle of dark rum beside him, and an empty rocks glass beside that. He looks like he's thinking about pouring himself some, but... well, ultimately, he makes other plans for that glass.

In that he throws it into the air, mutters something under his breath, and detonates it with a loud, smoky "CRACK!!" as the shards fly off in all directions.

Yeah, he's just gonna take a sip of that rum right from the bottle now...

He's not even sure he really wants to be drunk right now, it's more like he just wants to be away from Meridia. Away from people involved. Away from all the bullshit and the nonsense and away from what just happened and... and yet, he doesn't want to be alone, not really. Not entirely.

So. Here he is. Depressed and a little angry, staring at a bottle of rum, entirely unsure of what the hell to do with himself. ]

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You-- [Eithan saying he blew up a shot glass brings him up short. it's not the usual way people deal with stress in Birmingham, after all. but after a brief, staring pause, he snaps his mouth shut] Wow. Um... [crouching down, he rubs a hand across the floor in a spot on the opposite side of Eithan. satisfied it's free of glass, he sits down next to him] Want to talk about it? Or at least share the bottle? [he tries for a smile]

[He tries for a smile in return as he passes the bottle over to Oliver, shaking his head.]

Hey man, have as much as you want. And... yeah. You uh... might need it too. You'll be here a while.

[He runs a hand through his hair, his gaze already back to the floor. It's obvious he's nervous, Oliver won't need empathy to tell him that.]

You sure you got time? [Clearly trying to put it off djfaksjl]

[Oliver takes a swallow from the bottle before he offers it back to Eithan] 'Course I've got time. What's the Plane for, after all? [he keeps that smile in place, hoping it will encourage Eithan. but after that comment, he just sits and waits for his friend to be ready to share. even through the smile, his concern is visible in his eyes]

[Eithan takes the bottle back... and he has to take a moment to down another mouthful before he can speak - something about the pleasant burn down his throat... well, and the procrastination. But enough of that.]

I... ... Okay, look. First thing first, okay? I don't know if you figured it out by now or what, but... I'm actually in th' Order. Like... by title. They trained me and all that shit. [And boy, if he doesn't look like he's waiting for his world to snap in half now that he's owned up to that much.]

Oh. [the sound is surprised, but more in the sense that he's surprised they're having this conversation than that he's surprised to hear Eithan's admission. he scratches the back of his neck, looking a bit awkward, as though he's embarrassed to admit his suspicions]

Ah...you mentioned once. About being a traitor, so... [he waves a hand vaguely. he'd wondered about it. still, one thing about the way Eithan said that is bothering him--it was almost as if he wanted Oliver to judge him] But you're not in it now. Right? [he tries to catch Eithan's gaze--though mentally he's putting up a wall at the same time. he can tell enough about what Eithan is feeling right now not to want to get blasted by it]

[He does catch Eithan's gaze, and it's a good thing he's got a mental wall up. Eithan feels guilty enough that it might as well be consuming him right now. Well... guilty and angry, but he's keeping the anger in check a lot easier than he's keeping the guilt at bay.]

Kinda. [He sighs, shakes his head, shrugs one shoulder weakly.] 's not like you can just leave. But I haven't... done anything for them. ["Since my training," he carefully doesn't add out loud djfkals] Obviously. Think I'd rather die first. Can't put a stop to 'em if I'm dead, huh?

[Oliver nods; so far that's going right along with what he expected] And you're trying to. So... [he pauses, his tone gentle as he presses:] What happened?

[He's quiet for a few seconds... then he takes a deep breath.] Like I said. Long story.

[He looks away again, to the far wall, before he goes on.] I heard talk that there was a girl who had the same kinda goals as me - figure out quietly how to go against th' Order. You know? So I found her, we talked, and no. Just rumors. She didn't have any intentions like that, she was just another non-Order mage just... mindin' her own business. Next thing I hear? It was all a set-up. Th' Order actually started the rumors so they could set her up like a fuckin' example.

[And at that, his anger's rising. He can barely keep himself from baring his fangs, just the thought of all of this makes him positively livid. His voice gets a little quieter.]

They had her locked up in one of th' outposts near my hometown. A friend and I went in to get her, but she was so fuckin' scared of everyone and everything that... she screamed, alerted th' guards. ... She didn't make it out.

[Oliver is quiet for a long moment--shocked and worried and not sure what to say. finally, he puts a hand on Eithan's shoulder. when he speaks, his voice is soft] I'm...sorry, Eithan. That's...really awful.

[it just might be the understatement of the century, but it's the best he can come up with through the wrenching in his own gut at the story]

[Eithan doesn't really need him to say anything, so anything is fine, even if it's a gross understatement. The hand on his shoulder has him leaning against Oliver slightly, though - like the kid he really is. He's starting to give into that feeling of being kicked while he's down, and while he doesn't want to... he's not sure he has it in him to put on a smile right now.

He shakes his head.] Yeah. Me too. ... [He can feel his anger spike up again, just a little. Just enough to keep his tone quiet and severe.] This has gotta stop. And if it's gotta be me to do it, then... fine.

[Oliver keeps his arm right where it is, glad to act as support for Eithan in any way he can. but at Eithan's next words, he's quick to reply:] Not alone. You won't be doing it alone.

[It really is amazing what that kind of support can do for a person. He calms down considerably, that anger sliding away at the realization that Oliver is absolutely right. He's not alone.

He finally manages to look at his friend again. And hopefully that empathy of Oliver's might be able to tell him just how grateful he is to have him as a friend, because he sure as hell doesn't have the words for it.]

No. I won't. [He nods once.] ... Thanks. Shit, I don't know what I'd do right now if you weren't around. [At that, he glances at the rum bottle.... and actually snickers.] Actually, maybe I'd just be unconscious.

[Aaaand another sip anyway~]

[Oliver lost his mental wall in the midst of their conversation, so he does indeed feel that powerful mix of feelings. his breath catches at the intensity of it, but after a second to recover himself from the shock, he smiles]

Or singing drunken songs. Don't forget to share it! [and he reaches for the bottle, figuring he's already said what he needs to. and maybe part of what Eithan needs now is a way to take his mind off everything that's happened]

[Eithan lets him have the bottle, snickering a bit at the thought of drunken songs...]

Hey, we could still do that. Know any good ones?

[He's finally smiling, some. Having someone around even after hearing the truth... it's exactly what he needed, apparently. Time to let his mind take a break from the angst for a bit. Hopefully.]

[at Eithan's smile, Oliver gives him a relieved smile back]

Hold on a tick, you started drinking first! That means you've gotta start singing first. So... [he smirks] Let's hear it!

[Have an exaggerated groan... even though it's all in jest, because he's still smiling about it.]

Man, you're just tryin' to get out of it! [He waves a hand at him.] Go on, drink up! You've got some catchin' up to do.

Only if you're singing!

[despite his words, he happily takes another drink from the bottle]

Right, Right. [He laughs, shakes his head, clears his throat...

and yeah, he starts singing~ It's a little scratchy, since he's still getting over being an emotional wreck just a few seconds ago. Plus, you know, booze. But. Eithan's not a musician for nothin'. It's an old Meridian drinking song, the kind that pretty much everyone in his world knows, and the lyrics amount to the usual: drinking so much, trying to count them and eventually getting too drunk to keep count properly.]

[he's surprised when Eithan actually takes him up on it, and for a minute, he just stares at him. and then he laughs and tries to join in--on the repetitive parts, at least. okay, let's be honest, he's mostly just making "na" sounds to the tune. unfortunately, he doesn't have much of a singing voice in the first place, so Eithan will have to forgive the fact that he's wildly out of tune]

[And of course, Eithan's totally encouraging his singing along! He doesn't care about out-of-tune or not, because that's not even the point right now.

He's grinning and laughing by the time the song's done, of course, and he shakes his head slowly.]

There, man. Happy now? Your turn. Go on. Or you need more? [And he nods at that bottle of rum.]

[Oliver is grinning right back because a happy Eithan has him happy, too] Uh. More first, definitely. [and he grabs the bottle, enjoying a bit more. then he offers it to Eithan and breaks out in song:] Ten green bottles, sitting on the wall!

[which is a song that is both appropriate for the situation and that doesn't take much to learn the lyrics ~~and who can question Mr Birling's choice in drinking songs?~~]

[That is an awesome song, and though Eithan probably doesn't know the proper tune of it and can only take cues from Oliver, that's not stopping him from jumping right in! ♥

Who knows how the hell far they're going to get, but after a few numbers, Eithan does have to stop and ask...]

Wait, why're they green, though? [Snicker!]

[Oliver stops when Eithan does, seizing the opportunity to drink a bit more. at the question, he shrugs, smiling placidly] Dunno. It's a good colour? [and then he picks back up singing. oops, he might have changed the number a bit, though]

[Eithan just snickers at that answer, and goes right back to singing along! He's getting the numbers screwed up just as much as Oliver is, but that's okay. (They're never properly going to get to one, are they~?)]

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☼ eight ☼

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