A Sensible Drink

[Ethan Black]

A drink or two. What was the harm of that? He wasn't looking to get drunk. He wanted to relax. Enjoy the time on land. It was always short. Fleeting. It had to be. They were pirates after all. Pirates with precious cargo. Soon word would get out. They had to leave quickly. He understood that. But he wanted to take some time to himself. He loved the rest of the crew like a family. But even he needed a break now and then.

So he'd gone out. By himself. He could handle it. He wasn't drinking too much anyways. That was half the battle3. He was just sitting by himself. Milking his second mug. His thoughts were in slight turmoil. They trailed back to their journey. The secret guest they had on board. Had that been a good idea? Things could end very badly. He knew that. One wrong turn and his family could end up dead.

"Isn't that a pleasant thought to have while trying to relax." It came out as a mutter. A bit of a self-scolding. Yet the thoughts still plagued him. He couldn't get them out of his head. Maybe he was better off getting drunk after all.

[Sirius Biermann]

Getting off the ship after the extended stay was top priority. Drowning in drink with both feet on the ground came a close second.

Port bars could be dangerous. Drunks were unpredictable, and sailors seemed the worst of the lot. He wasn't too concerned with danger; sell-swords and mercenaries made as much trouble with drink in them. As long as he stayed off other's toes and kept his mouth shut, he should be good.

Getting a drink was easy. Finding a seat was not. Clearly he wasn't the only one with the idea of drinking tonight. Now it was a matter of finding someone who didn't look like they would try to stab him in the gut. Most of the tables were crowded and rowdy with seamen. The more boisterous kind typically were the type to try something, so he avoided those.

As fortune would have it, one man sat alone. Sober too, with a sensible look that wouldn't belong on a drunk man's face. Caution was still key, but he approached. "Mind if I join you?" He asked politely. A smile usually helped with this sort of thing.

[Ethan Black]

There was a voice. Masculine. Polite? Ethan looked up. It was a man. One that could easily be called handsome. Did he mind if he joined? it even came with a smile. The question was unexpected. Manners and bars didn't often mix. Yet here some were. Coming from someone Ethan had to look over again.

He smiled. "Not at all. In fact, I'd love a conversation right now. Might help me take my mind off things." Ethan had a feeling that he was just the distraction needed. He looked him over again. Observed. "I'm guessing you're a mercenary, right? Neither guards or chevaliers have armor like that. Nor do I think either would be able to enter without making a ruckus."

[Sirius Biermann]

He took a seat at the invitation to. In comparison to the other spots available, it was far better.

The man had an odd way of talking. It came off as more refined than most people he would run into in a place like this. There weren't many well educated shoulders; none the last time he checked anyhow. But it was a very welcome change. "Rough night then?" He inquired before lifting the drink to his lips. It burned on the way down his throat, but the feeling was too familiar for him to register.

Hardly a spit of surprise came from the accusation. Merely a smile and a nod. "That I am. Although I wasn't hiding it." He said with a lazy shrug. It wasn't like the fact was some sort of secret. If anything, he paraded the profession simply by being.

"A ruckus? What, have they suddenly gotten rowdier since the last time I was in town?" He questioned. "Those chevaliers could use a bit of an unwinding. Tighter than a spring, they are."

[Ethan Black]

He sat. Ethan smiled. Then he spoke. A question. Rough night? Ethan chuckled, but there was no humor to it. It was sardonic. Almost harsh. "Oh you've no idea." It was lowly said. Almost a mutter. But he wasn't going to get into it. That was personal. And his fault for worrying over.

He smiled. He nodded. He didn't look particularly surprised. He was, and was hardly hiding it. That much was obvious to him. If the man wanted to hide it, he was doing a poor job. Yet from the shrug he didn't seem to care at all.

A question. This one more humorous. Have they gotten rowdier since he was last here? The chevaliers could use some unwinding. Ethan laughed. Felt himself relaxed somewhat. "From my knowledge, no. They're the same as they've been, although I agree with you on the chevaliers. Being that serious all the time can't be good for one's health. Or social life for that matter." It was all said drily. But there was a question now. "I'm guessing you just came back from somewhere then?"

[Sirius Biermann]

Judging from the low murmur, this wasn't a great topic to discuss. So it was glanced over in favor of a more lively one. As fortune would have it, his drinking companion had a sense of humor. Whether it would hold up remained to be seen, but he had high hopes.

"Well that there's just disappointing." He sighed, bringing his drink back up to his mouth. "I have no idea how they can act like that all the time. Do you think they get some sort of spell put on them when they take on the job?" Now he was moving onto pure speculation. "Something that makes them act like stone golems instead of real men?" He asked, not expecting an answer.

Now there was a useless question. "What gave it away?" He questioned with a chortle. "The fact I'm in a sailor's hole or the fact I'm asking about the impossible? Or has the smell given me away?"

[Ethan Black]

That was disappointing. He sighed along with the statement. Ethan smirked. He went on. Perhaps there was a spell they put on the chevaliers. That made him raise a brow. It was an odd remark. Yet bore some thought. He doubted the idea. Given the caution around magic.

What gave it away? The fact he was where he was, or his questions? Or the smell. Ethan laughed. Shook his head. He was amusing, to say the least. A welcome respite. A good distraction. "Considering I haven't started choking yet, I doubt it's the smell. It usually wafts over like a poisonous cloud, whether I want it to or not. Usually it's the latter." Since he was typically stuck on a boat, he had far too much experience of such things.

"So, where are you coming from then?" It was an honest question. "Or is that private business?"

[Sirius Biermann]

There was no reply, so there must've been no interest. Though blue eyes noticed a variation in the man's expression. There was at least some consideration to the idea, if not words to go along with it. That suited him just fine.

The reply was practically a compliment disguised as a joke. "Why would you ever want to anyways?" He asked, his face scrunching up at the thought alone. Poisonous cloud was an apt enough description for most people he had to work with. It was not by choice that he had to breath it in when he went to get contracts.

This one liked switching subjects fast didn't he? "Abrea." He replied easily with another lazy shrug. "It's hardly private business."

[Ethan Black]

A question. Why would he ever want to anyways? His face scrunched up too. It was a good point. Ethan snickered. "Well, if it's a good smell instead of a bad one, then I don't mind." Like food being cooked. He didn't mind that nearly as much. it was only the bad he didn't want.

Abrea. He was hardly there on private business. That only made him grow more curious. "Can I ask what you were doing over there then? Protecting some lordling or other?" It was a shot in the dark. He only had a vague knowledge of what the Marauders did. If this man was even a part of them. Ethan couldn't be sure, but most sell-swords seemed to be.