Thirty-Two Arcs

[Patrick]

Ymiden 18 718, Afternoon

Location: The Four in Hand

Thirty two arcs ago he was a mere babe brought into this cruel and relentless world, born to a mother who had already birthed another son before him... born to a life of poverty without any sign of a father to teach him the ways. Born to a life full of so many wrongs and very few rights, and eventually raised to embrace them for what they ultimately were. It had been a rough childhood and things did get better over time, but it wasn't until the mother of those two boys passed away; that Patrick truly learned the significant value of life then.

Such times he and Dominek had gone through, even now with the ghost there with him, Dom was likely wishing he could celebrate this Trial with Pat. But Pat? He never saw reason to celebrate it honestly, hardly since the trial felt much of the same as any other. Thirty two Arcs of nothing significant, just a Trial that marked the time he was born. Even now he felt no point in lingering over the matter, because honestly the only one here who knew what To-trial was.... was him.

Dominek may have been a ghost anchored to him, but really there was no one living at present who knew. No one. Anyone here that _did_ know would have to either be psychic, or had to have done a lot of digging just to uncover that specific detail. So what was Pat's big plan for the Trial? Was he going to live it up like always? Typically one would expect him to go out adventuring! Doing something daring or exciting, living in the aspect of trouble even! But no. To-Trial was something of a disappointment in that regard, as Patrick merely sat at the bar and ordered himself one round... then one more round... and then... one more...

Whiskey was his punishment this Arc, and if he could remember it next then it was a waste of the nel. So right now he was on... what? Fourth shot? By now the burn hardly affected him then, since the fifth he threw down went in straight and true. The shot glass chimed against the wood of the bar as he sighed, a slow shake of his head occurred as the buzz kicked in a little harder. He dressed in only his white shirt and blue pants, the right heel of his ankle boots bouncing erratically as he flagged the bartender once more.

"Another." He requested plainly with barely a hint of a glance to the man. "Same as before."

You sure?"

"I can handle it." He remarked indifferently with a wave of a couple fingers. While he seemed to consider it the bartender accepted it, another set of shots poured as the two glasses were placed before him. "Perfect." He muttered as he already placed fingers around one of the two shots, the smokey spiced alcohol thrown back with another hard swallow.

[Nalin Marit]

Nalin Marit
18th of Ymiden, 718

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"Common" "Common Sign" "Scalveen""NPC"

Nalin had decided a couple trial's earlier that he should probably see about checking in with Faith, seeing as he hadn't been able to eat exactly everything that had been on the itinerary before when he'd been at the Order. To be honest, he wasn't sure if he should have left to go back home in the first place, but he had needed some time to think about what to do next. His sister still needed more treatment, that was for sure. He frowned at that thought as he walked the street's of Scalvtown.

When Nalin looked up though, he found himself looking at The Four In Hand, not the Order. He blinked and then just smirked at himself. Had his thought's wandered to needed some more quality time with that man? With Patrick? Surely the man would have already moved on from here no? He was about to turn away to actually head to the Order when this nagging feeling of hope told him to walk into the building instead. He swallowed, trying not to bee too hopeful to find the man that was practically a shot of life.

As before, the building was loud, rowdy and crowded. Stepping in, he looked around, trying to politely ignore the couple of girls that came swarming at him once more. They were all talking so fast, and were talking over each other that he could hardly make sense of what was being said anyways.

It was when his eyes scanned the bar that he kind of just froze in place, his eyes widening. On Xiur's grace!Was that?! It was! Nalin was inwardly jumping up and down for joy, his eye's lighting up at the sight. How in Idalos did he have such luck!? There was no way that this luck was going to stick, but right now, he was going to take advantage of it before he realizes it's some sort of mind trick.

Taking a slow and deep breath, Nalin steps around the girls, eliciting some frustrated sighs from them as he walked over to Patrick. Once behind Patrick, Nalin slowly slid his hand onto Patrick's shoulder-blade and up onto his neck. It wasn't rushed, it wasn't rough, and it might even seem familiar as Nalin stepped forward and put a hand around the other shot. Not aware of what it was but smirking down at Patrick, excited to see the surprised look on the man's face. He chuckled and started to speak slowly. In the familiar way of him trying to keep himself sounding at least somewhat normal.

"Miss me? What's this? Alone, now can't have that. Unless having a private party of one?"

Nalin smirked a bit more as he moved his hand to slightly massage the back of the man's neck. His head tilted a bit, his blond hair it's normal cascade. He raised an eyebrow as well, waiting for an answer from the man that held so much of his interest. Nalin could barely remember a moment in the past trials where he hadn't at least thought once about this man. He wondered privately what he wasn't surrounded by woman, and why he was just sitting alone drinking. For a second he thought it might be a bad day for them to have met again, but he shook that thought away. He had to have shown up in front of this man again for a reason.

[Amaris]

Taverns were something Amaris had begun to look at in a different light. Before, they had been places that he would avoid without hesitation, skirting past them and even taking a much longer route to return home. Not so long ago, he'd stepped into more than one and was humiliated - in his opinion - in both instances. Now, however, they were seen as places of information and a collection plate of injuries. On this particular trial, he found himself headed to the Four in Hand in the hopes of obtaining more information. The mixed blood had already begun to exhaust the library of whatever information it had, and rumors were as good as any to work on. If he could find someone willing to speak with him or direct him to someone with more information, it would be a good trial.

This was the reasoning behind his entrance into the tavern, but it would not be what kept him there. Perhaps in their newfound tendency to hop from one tavern to the next when they needed to be privy to the words of the townspeople, they had come to spot familiar faces quite easily. With a nod to a few of them, they spotted two people they hadn't quite expected to run into again. Nalin was distinct enough with his light hair and willowy frame, and the Rharnian Patrick was becoming a face he saw on a more regular basis than he'd truly hoped for. Since that night of drinking, he had made it a point to avoid the man - somewhat, not entirely. He just did not actively seek the man out.

By their proximity, the two seemed to know each other. Or one knew the other. Nalin seemed overly familiar, and he could only think that pale man had been closer to Patrick than he had been in Ashan. Good. He glanced around for a trill before deciding to move in closer to the pair. He hoped he wasn't interrupting anything. A smile on his lips, he moved to stand on the unoccupied side of Patrick.

"Good trial, you two," he greeted, though his smile dropped slightly at Patrick's apparently dismal expression. "Is something the matter?"

[Patrick]

His first shot went down smooth as the round prior but come the time for that second, a hand seemed to interject and keep him from indulging in his whiskey. First dangerous rule any person should consider, is that they never intervene on a Rharnian... and his drink. Especially when that Rharnian was Patrick Barnell! Rather quickly he looked to the face of the daring individual, his keen bemusement quickly turned to one of initial surprise when he recognized the face. Oh... shit. It was Nalin. He hadn't seen this prostitute for a good spell or so... okay maybe well over half a season just about, even so that pretty much highlighted the fact Pat invested little interest in him. Not for the fact Nalin wasn't interesting to consider, just that Patrick's current issue obligated him not to.

Too much emotional investment or peculiar interest in a person made them a liable target, for when the time would come when he would turn into his outraged Sessfiend form. After practically three seasons worth of containing the rage and his ring on the verge of breaking... he certainly couldn't afford to slip up now, not when he's been close enough to slipping over the edges of sanity a couple of times. "Ugh..." He was clearly speechless and for a moment, he felt as though he immediately sobered up somehow. Although that was far from the truth really, it just revealed how caught off guard he truly was; when it came to seeing that Nalin had been the one to surprise him. "... You could say that." He pretty much nodded with a bit of a sullen grin, obviously a bit off his game in regards to the usual flirty Patrick he proved to be.

He proved to be rather tense when Nalin massaged the backside of his neck, but eased up and relaxed a little since the man didn't seem to be going anywhere. Then naturally another chimed in and for a moment, Patrick almost rolled his eyes at how ironic this moment came to be. There she was again. Amaris had a knack for popping up at the most unusual of times, of that the Rharnian had come to believe as something certain. They had already seen the worst of him a bit after Ymiden started, and while he would've loved to forget that Trial in particular; he knew doing that wasn't bound to happen for neither him... nor the councilor either. "Uh, no." Rather quickly he shook his head to dismiss the idea, hopeful to put off any suspicions likely now on the arise. "No not at all. I just, I mean I'm..."

Come on... Did he really have to advertise his business to these two? That was probably the worst idea in the world right now! "Oh just do it!" Ri's voice beckoned him as he mentally debated some form of an excuse.

"Drinking. A lot. To-trial's one'a those drink.... lots of booze kinda Trials." Such a lame excuse, even he would've struggled to buy that. At that moment he didn't let Nalin stop him from taking the drink, the shot thrown down quickly as he tried to shamefully back up the story.

"Wuss." The fairy taunted him privately as he swallowed the liquid hard, a brief sigh to follow as he tapped the glass back down. Quietly in the confines of his mind, he retorted back to the fairy with a deliberate "shut it," as a response.

[Nalin Marit]

Nalin Marit
18th of Ymiden, 718

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"Common" "Common Sign" "Scalveen""NPC"

For a moment Nalin withdrew away from Patrick, a small, weak smile on his lips as he looked to the man, memories flooding his mind. The memory of that disgusted face. He actually had to look away for a trill before he caught himself and put himself back in control. He gave his biggest smile and patted Patrick's back as he looked over the mans shoulder to see that Amaris was there. Well this was a surprise, Amaris wasn't one he'd imagined would show up in a place such as this. Though Amaris did go into his work to heal him once. He smiled softly over to the healer as they addressed him.

But his eyes went back to Patrick, feeling him relax under his fingers. He smiled and watched Patrick's movement's and features. He raised a brow for a moment. That, wasn't really the whole story was it? He chuckled as he watched the man bolt down his embarrassment with the shot. Nalin looked over him and thought for a moment.

"Well.. if nothing is wrong... something right? Drinking good reason then? Maybe this light weight should join in that then? Celebration time?"

He smirked a bit at Patrick for a moment before patting him on the back once more, looking to Amaris with almost a childish and cheeky smile.

"Ah.. wait.. Doctor here. Not good idea to drink then huh? Too bad. Water for me it is."

It was a teasing jab at Amaris, to try and lighten up the mood. But he was being actually kind of serious. He actually flagged the bartender down to get himself a water and then a round of whatever Amaris and Patrick wanted.

"I pay this round! To celebration!"

[Amaris]

Amaris was never one to worry about a mood or how to set it. More so with how they would ruin it, but most of the time they tried not to think too hard about it. Because if they did, it would only become a constant worry among many others and that would lead them nowhere. Like their train of thought on the matter was at the current moment. But Nalin, however, was not the same and could easily make some sense of a solution to the matter.

Nalin's jest about water was first met with a slight frown before the mixed blood caught on, lips tipping upward into a bit of a smile. Not quite so humorous, in his mind - health was a serious thing to consider, but this wasn't the kind of serious situation that would warrant a lecture on the matter and they were not really the person to give such a speech, at any rate. His proposal to join the man for a round of drinks was as good an idea as any, though the mixed blood would be refraining. Or maybe it was the right idea - they wouldn't be able to tell; this wasn't their forte.

Amaris settled in beside Patrick, smile remaining. "I'll be havig water, as well. I think it might take the two of us sober to keep careful watch of Mr. Patrick here in all the celebration."

[Patrick]

It piqued his interest to find himself in what would have to be pleasant company, even though from the looks of it they would not be joining him in a round of drinks. But why would they? They weren't the same as he was, they didn't grow up to live and understand the culture that was built up in the city of Rharne. So he really couldn't judge them over that, and he also couldn't hold it against them for showing invested concern with his lonesome drinking scheme.

He was broody and that tended to be the trend, since there was always something for him to broody over. Hardly anything seemed to go well in his life, and usually when something did a bad episode of trouble usually followed. So imagining himself as a thirty-two Arc old man now proved difficult, because in all honesty he'd been through quite a number of occasions where he shouldn't be. Yet somehow at the call for celebration time, the moment felt less lonesome and solitary as it did before to the Rharnian. He couldn't help but slightly smile a little, even if the situation proved bittersweet to him.

Why though?

Inadvertently his wallowing in personal self pity created this faintly dire situation, and now that the two were here he didn't want them to know what really troubled him. So regardless of their intention he needed to swallow the bitterness of the moment, and wear a modest smile now that he was in this sticky situation. Both ordered water and somehow he couldn't help but chuckle, as if the sentimental care they projected seemed remarkable. Probably because it was to him, why they wanted to invest their time and thought into him? It perplexed him but nonetheless proved a comforting thought, since he wouldn't be alone and drunk like he normally was.

"Well jokes on y' two, I'm a riot after I've drank enough." He forewarned them with a couple more fingers flagged to the bartender, sure enough the drinks were brought to rest on the bar right in front of the three. Nalin and Amaris were presented with glasses and a pitcher, which the bartender used to provide them with water, and then Patrick received his next round of shot glasses with the brown spicy brew. Without any wait on the drink Patrick took the first of the two shots given, and threw it back so the harsh burn sloshed down his throat.

[Amaris]

A drinker they were not, but Amaris had come to find that Patrick was very much so one. It would make sense; they had been raised in an environment where drinking hadn't been the highest of priorities. They had witnessed their parents drink, but never so much to get drunk - and if they ever did, the twins must have been sleeping soundly. Hard to imagine it, though. And so they didn't.

"I'm sure that's more than true, Mr. Patrick." Their smile remained, though their brows some at the sight of him downing the two shots. It likely wasn't as impressive a feat as it seemed to Amaris but this was going off of their assumption of what whatever he was drinking must taste like. They eyed their own glass, relieved at the clear liquid it contained. Water, though sometimes questionable, was not always so bad a thing to be concerned about where taste was involved. If they really felt a need to alter the taste, they could ask for lemon or mint. They were tempted to do so now. All that stopped them was the idea that they might look like terrible company. But when has that really stopped you?

Taking a sip of their water, they glanced around. This was too lively a place for someone to come drinking alone. "Do you always celebrate these drinking trials alone or is this one particularly special? Is that why you looked so upset before?" Had they interrupted something? The others around them seemed to treat this trial as any other, so perhaps it was a personal sort of celebration. In which case...they were most probably encroaching on something they ought not to. "I might not be the best drinking buddy, but you can talk to me."

[Patrick]

A moment of occupation filled Patrick's expression as he clearly seemed occupied with thought, long enough for Nalin to seem to notice something and wander off due to the silence. The Rharnian watched but only for the moment, the company still present was one he had a different level understanding with. Granted they had a substantial amount of trust between them, after what he did to her a while back after Ymiden had just started. He regretted every waking moment spent remembering that ordeal, and to make it worse the residual taste still echoed as a deliciously haunted memory.

Maybe that's why he deferred to being alone more so now than before, because it accosted his company too much with his own burdens. But Amaris seemed insistant to let him know that she was there, to listen and understand the suffering he deferred to keep inside. He almost pouted as he felt the sentiment in her words, and sure enough the faint smile he had before seemed a little more genuine. "Thanks Amaris. I know I've already put you through a lot, yet still you seem persistent with checking in on me." He seemed to visibly relax but also display apprehension, knowing good and well the more involved she got... the more danger he put her in. Attachments were something he needed to avoid, but as of today he needed to let loose a little.

"I don't always drink alone... usually I try to get others involved. Every trial sort of deal too honestly, if it hasn't been obvious it's a bit of daily routine. But lately... Being alone is the best for me and everyone else, after our last encounter you can imagine why..." Now he proved visibly tense, rigid at the reminder of what he did to her hand that day. "Except it wasn't always that way, I used to have people I enjoyed having around.... people I might've loved once. Nobody left to know anymore but today makes thirty-two arcs for me." Surely now the painted picture made it clear and Amaris' observation precise, now that his reason for being upset had been expressed to the councilwoman.

[Kasoria]

Review Rewards

Name: Paddy

Points awarded: 15

Notes: Just a quick reminder that you should be adding the Skills you've used to your reviews in the story to your Review Request. I know, I know, you're old school and it's a bother, but it helps. Not a problem here because there really isn't much going on and you're not requesting Knowledges, but it's a good habit to get into. Other than that, shame this didn't go anywhere, I was enjoying the insight into Patrick.


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