{{PP-PT-F29}} A Drink That Never Ends {On the House}

[Reytac 0]

It was honestly a bit hard for Reytac to keep from reaching out and clasping a hand on Teion's shoulder when she looked back to him again as they stood in front of the bar. She'd been doing it every so often, as if to make sure that he was still there, and if he'd known her a bit better he might have offered that physical support. Instead - 

"No, I see it too Miss Teion. And.. The other glass that I swear was not there when we walked in here and saw that one. Or, any sign of who put these here." Rey swallowed roughly as he processed that. While the drink that was in front of Teion - and he somehow knew it was meant for her, was in a short glass, befitting whiskey on the rocks - the one that was for him was in a fluted wine glass that he most definitely had not seen when they came in here. It had appeared, innocuously, on the bar-top next to the whiskey when Reytac tore his gaze from the other glass to look to Teion, checking on her.

And there was that blasted screen again. The words were fuzzy, not quite right but he couldn't place why they felt wrong. Worse was the fact that the window couldn't be closed - and that unlike normal menu screens, this one didn't turn smoothly with his focus. Instead it staggered, lurched, like it was... off kilter, or getting stuck in the air somehow. The brunette ground his teeth together and stepped forward. 

This was easily the oddest quest, environment, he'd ever been in, and at this point he wanted to get this over with and get them out of here. He grabbed the glass of wine, the scent of plums filling his nose as he lifted it to his moouth and took a drink. Originally, Reytac inteaded to finish the glass off in one go and get them moving - that intent fell to the side as Reytac coughed slightly, his eye going wide as he lowered the glass to stare at it. Something felt - wrong. Off. Different, new. He pulled open his character menu and his eyes shot open. A new debuff was there, one he had never heard of.

 

<<Lightweight>>

 

"Miss Teion wait-" He tried to stop her from taking a drink and getting that debuff. An impossible debuff from the effect description. He didn't know if he was in time as he turned towards her, stumbling slightly - it had been years since he'd been hit by this. And even before then, he only drank sparingly -

 

<<Player feels the effects of consumed alcohol as per physical world.>>

 

Spoiler

Roll ID: 255060  CD: 6 :: Plum Wine

 

Edited 3 hours ago by Reytac

[Teion 0]

Reytac was less cautious with the glass posed for him. Or maybe he was just in more of a hurry to get it over with. Teion plucked her drink from the counter and pulled it close to her face. The scent hit her, sharp and inviting all at once. She didn’t have to take a whiff to feel the prickling in her nose.

The last time she consumed something carelessly, it led to a less than favorable experience. Then again, nothing about their circumstances was anything like that time. Giving in to curiosity, she brought the rim of the glass to her lips moments before Reytac called out in warning. She drained some of its contents with a sip. Warm, then hot, it burned the back of her throat with an oaky weight that made her scrunch her nose. She breathed out through her mouth, eyes still squeezed shut as the familiar but not accustomed sensation washed over her.

”Yep.” She stopped herself from coughing the word out. ”That is just straight whiskey. Whoo.” She breathed out the last of her reaction to the aggressive taste, noticing Reytac nearly trip over himself beside her. ”Hm?” She cocked an eyebrow. Was he upset over something? Maybe—

She opened her mouth to ask a question, but stopped herself. She stood in silence, took her eyes away from Reytac, and narrowed her brows above them. It was like she was waiting for something. Pondering something.

Teion blinked, wondering if her imagination was getting the better of her. She brought the glass back up to her nose and sniffed it one more time, the alcohol burning in her nostrils. She didn’t seem satisfied by whatever she was doing. Finally, she paid attention to her questing companion. ”You okay?”

She’d listen to whatever answer he might have, but multi-tasked while she did. Setting her glass back down on the bar, Teion took a few steps to wade into the mess of the main tavern area and fish out a couple of stools that were intact enough to hold them. She placed one beside the bar in front of Reytac, then planted hers a couple of feet away, taking a seat and swiping open her menus. She navigated to her messages and typed something up, sending it off and returning her full attention to whatever this was.

Spoiler

To: @Ryo
Subject: Hey
I’m at a seedy tavern on F29. Might be the place you mentioned before? Can you check on me if I’m not back in like, an hour or two? Thanks ♡

 

Edited 24 minutes ago by Teion

[Reytac 0]

Reytac's shoulders slumped down slightly as he dropped himself into the seat that she'd pulled out for him, mumbling a 'thanks' as he did so before rubbing his face with one hand. He hadn't been in time. He hoped the debuff would clear out quickly for both of them. 

"Check your stat panel for a new debuff." He finally said, leaning back and running one hand through his hair. "Just one more on the list of impossiblilities this floor has thrown at us. I'm sure I'll be feeling it soon, I never was much one for drinking. Always just a social drinker, y'know?" He turned and gave Teion a wan smile before shrugging. He turned back to the table and frowned when he saw that something that bothered him. Bothered him immensely. 

The blue panel for the next stage of the quest was back, and it still seemed unresponsive as he tried clearing it away. It hung there, in the air in front of him as he frowned at it. But worse than that was the fact that the text of the message was garbled - he could make out what it said, but the fuzziness from earlier had given way to distortion, stretching and twisting the letters beyond their normal shapes. Far beyond. And beyond it - on the counter-top, was another glass. Different from the wine glass he'd drank from before, but somehow - as he blinked, it shifted into something else. A different alcohol. He tried it a couple times, testing it, and each time, the glass, and the liquid inside of it changed to his eyes. Once, he even swore it was blood, another time it looked like juice. 

"Uh.. Miss Teion? Did the quest panel pop back up for you - but distorted?" A shiver was running up and down his back as he stared between the distorted panel, and the shifting, warping, drink that was the different each time he looked at it.