Drink Away Your Sorrows (Open)

[Tristan Mallard]

O’Sullivan’s pub always seemed to be packed no matter what time of day. It didn’t matter that the world was tearing itself apart outside it’s shady walls, there were plenty people out there who crept in to bury themselves into a bottle to either hide from or deal with their inner demons.

This was how Tristan found O’Sullivans when he and a few mates from his medical group came to celebrate after a very hard mid-term. Tristan wasn’t a drinker by any means, he didn’t really have the time, the money, or the real desire for it. He had come along for moral support and to keep an eye on his class mates. Out of all the students who were trying to make it through this term (maybe a little shy of a hundred) Tristan knew about maybe two who weren’t human. The rest were your typical ever day run of the mill human.

Tristan couldn’t help but cringe when he entered. His mind was overflowed by thoughts of the other drinkers. Most were about money, family, and other common things. A few were about the outcome of the war, but nothing else really popped out at him. He shot his classmates a smile as he followed them to a small table. The five of them did their best to crowd around it.

A tiny waitress came up through the crowd to get their orders, the most of the group ordered rum, while Tristan ordered just a water, making the excuse that he was to be the driver. The others chuckled about him being a light foot and went back to their conversation about the test they had just taken. Tristan was about to put his two cents in when something caught his attention. He slowly shot a glance around and smiled when he saw a pretty face among the crowd.

“Wow, there’s a keeper,” one of his classmates muttered glancing over in the direction he had been glancing at. “Why don’t you try your luck, ducky?” That got the group to chuckle. “But then again, you maybe an ugly duckling after all?”

Tristan shook his head, doing his best to keep his anger in check. He knew that his classmates didn’t really think all that highly of him. Heck, he blew past the majority of his classmates when it came to grades. Tristan shot the waitress a sympathetic smile as he left her to his class mates. He wasn’t really in the mood anymore to talk to stupid idiots.

He grabbed his bottle of water and headed toward the bar. Maybe there was something good on the television. It had to be something better. The bartender shot him a smile before going back to his work. Tristan and his classmates were known to coming here after a big test most times. He also knew to leave Tristan alone most of the time. Tristan grabbed an empty bar seat and shot a glance up to see that there wasn’t a game on but some news clip about the recent Fae attack.

[Rissa O'Sullivan]

Making her way out from the back office, Rissa sighed. She needed a drink after that meeting, she really did. She'd come in earlier to talk to her uncle about some family matters, and what she'd planned as a ten minute talk ended up taking two hours. In between the shop talk and information sharing though had been the not-so-subtle hints that she really ought to consider moving back to the family home. Most everyone except her mom and sisters didn't quite understand why she was still living in Dublin instead of moving back in with everyone else - after all it would be easier what with the family business and all.

But if Rissa was honest, she was still hoping that maybe by next summer the whole thing with the faes would be settled, the dark fae would be off to another world and perhaps the light fae too, and things would settle down again. Part time assassin, part time college girl, part time regular worker? That sounded good for the rest of her life. Of course, that was assuming they would be able to eventually figure something out, instead of the constant tension currently playing out.

Who knew. She couldn't even keep track of all the things going on lately herself - poisoned fae knives, fae stalkers, dark fae assassinations.... if she didn't know better, she'd say they were taking over her life. And you know, maybe she would take the rest of the day off for her own pleasure. Shopping sounded good, maybe some wandering. And maybe swinging by a friend's house later, see how she was weathering everything.

Anyway, that was later. For now though, a drink definitely sounded like a plan. Something nice and warm.... ohh, and coffee-like. Snagging an open spot up at the bar, she waved to the bartender and ordered a spiked coffee with cinnamon and whipped cream.

While waiting for her drink, Rissa eyed the people around her. The mid-afternoon crowd was pretty tame right now, mostly regular patrons. She could tell, having hung around the pub enough times to know - the drunks didn't come around til later, and at the moment there didn't really seem to be anyone who hung around for the faction planning sessions.

There was one guy over to her left that caught her attention though - she'd seen him before at the pub, usually with a group of people his age. This time though he was alone at the bar, and she followed his gaze to the tv. Another fae attack, this time in a residential area on the south side of town. Feh. The faction really needed to get it together and send a message that the fae weren't welcome here. And the government needed to step in... what were they doing, sitting on their asses and watching the world fall apart?

"It's a shame, it really is. If this continues on much longer, we're not going to have a city to call home by the time the fighting is over and the fae are kicked out." Engrossed in her thoughts, Rissa didn't realize she'd said the words out loud.

[Tristan Mallard]

Tristan couldn’t help but frown at the television. Even through all the noise of the pub, he could make out the comments his classmates were throwing out left and right. They had it so easy. They all seemed to come from rich families who just lived to bail them out of any trouble that they came across.

A figure caught his attention, drawing it away from the screen for a moment to see a young woman come toward the bar. He had seen her around her once in a while. She wasn’t a regular of the late night drinking, but she was here once in a while for a drink. He watched the bartender bring her a coffee. He couldn’t help but smirk at it. Leave it to a girl to drink a girly drink.

Somebody bumped into him, drawing his attention away from her. He shot the man who bumped into him a harsh glare. He caught the reflection of a cuss word before the man yelled at the bartender for a drink. Tristan ran a hand over his face, before turning away from the man. Leave it to a human to be angry about his sport game cut off by an update of the ongoing war.

A soft voice whispering caught his attention and he turned back toward her. Her eyes were stuck on the television. He bit down on the inside of his lip to keep from remarking stupid. He caught a small glimpse of idiot rush through her mind a second before it faded away. Tristan couldn’t help but chuckle. “What gives you the idea that they want something to be left?” he threw out to her. He then shot her a small smile. “I’m sorry, couldn’t help but over hear. I take it that you don’t care for all the fighting?”

[Rissa O'Sullivan]

“What gives you the idea that they want something to be left? I’m sorry, couldn’t help but over hear. I take it that you don’t care for all the fighting?”

Rissa started slightly, not expecting the voice. Had she said that last part aloud? Oops, she supposed she had, hadn't she... Heh. Well, at least she hadn't taken a trip into unobservant-land earlier in her musings. Might not be a good idea to accidentally muse about assassins and hits in front of normal people.

"I don't care for it much, to be honest. I've been doing my part, but it's such a waste of life, and all of the innocents who are getting hurt... it's to the detriment of everyone." Rissa shrugged, and took a sip of her coffee... and immediately regretted it. Crap that was hot! Then again, she supposed that's what coffee was supposed to be after all. Wincing, she set the mug down and settled instead for stirring the whipped topping into the coffee.

"You bring up a good point though - why should the fae care about what they destroy? At least the ones making so much trouble; I don't deny there are some good ones around. But if the supremacists had their way, they'd be the ones running our world."

Hopefully it would never come to that though; she'd fight it tooth and nail along with so many others. What entitled the fae to think they should have any sort of influence in this world? They were refugees here, and if they'd just tried to lay low and fit in then things wouldn't be like this. Or if they'd just gone and found a new world to live in.

Blowing on her coffee to cool it off, she turned her attention back to the tv for a moment to listen to the end of the newscast. Tips for staying safe, hotline numbers to call, all that good stuff. They guy at the other end of the bar amused her; was he seriously having a bitch fit because the sports channel wasn't on? If his muttering was anything to go buy, he needed to take a chill pill.

"I'm Rissa, by the way. I think I've seen you around here before when I've stopped by. You a frequent visitor, or just a once in a while?"

[Tristan Mallard]

Tristan took a drink of his water, only to frown. His eyes drifted to the vast mirror behind the bar, half hidden by spirit bottles of various shapes and sizes. He caught a glimpse of one of his class mates making a rude gesture towards a very busty woman before taking a drink. Tristan couldn’t help but shake his head. It wouldn’t be too long before they started a fight that would cause them to be politely asked to leave.

“I’m doing my part…” his female companion said softly, causing him to glance over in her direction with an arched look. Her part? In what? The war? She didn’t look much like any solider that Tristan had come across before but he knew not to judge people by their looks. “Your part?” he asked her, taking a second to move aside as a rather large, rather drunk man made his way up to the bar. He slammed his drink down hard, spilling its contents on Tristan’s coat. Tristan shot him a harsh look which the drunk simply ignored. Tristan caught the thought of ‘prissy boy’ before his mind turned toward drink.

Tristan couldn’t help but chuckle. “Makes you wonder really. If they keep this up, the only thing that could make it out there will be a giant dust bunny.” Sadly that was the truth of it. If this all kept going, there wouldn’t be anything left to fight for. Or anyone to fight.

A man at the end of the bar was yelling for the bartender to switch the channel and Tristan could only frown. Leave it to the drunks to cause a mess. And a human drunk for that matters. To Tristan they were almost as bad as the others.

He shot her a smile when she introduced herself. He had heard her name here and there as well as seen her in passing. “Name’s Tristan,” he said offering her his hand. “Yeah you could say that.” He then motioned towards his classmates. “They always come here to celebrate after a big exam and I always tend to come along to make sure they behave.” At his last word a loud crash was heard followed by drunken laughter. He turned to see one of his classmates had fallen off his chair. He shot Rissa a faint shrug. “and that I use lightly.”