A Pint Too Much [Closed/Invite Only]

Leon Wilhelm had deserved a night off. The constant rigors of training, missions, and shop work had left him haggard and wanting. Tired muscles and stiff joints seemed to be calling for a stiff drink, a nice beat, and plenty of eye-candy to lift his spirits.

With all that in mind, the man knew of one place that could always provide for his sins. A bastion for the perversion of life was well in sight as he walked the city streets, flask in hand, appearing as if he already belonged among the urchins on track to a failing liver. But, that wasn't a concern for the man at the very least. With a gleaming smile and a half-hearted salute, Leo was home among those who were a slave to a beat and hard drinks.

"No, the Sternritter is out. Yes I would be happy to process those requisition forms", she replied with her sweetest librarian's tone of voice. Taking the papers she ushered the clerk out of the office nearly shutting the door on the man's cloak. She leaned her back against the door sagging a bit and heaved a sigh. "Jesus why are they bringing this bullshit to the Sternritter's office anyway? He's not some damned supply clerk", she moaned at the floor. The floor hadn't a clue or if it did it wasn't giving up any secrets to Calendrea. Moving across the room she filed the papers, fended off numerous messages, snuck a peanut butter sandwich in for lunch, and worried as each hour ticked away with no sign of Aodh anywhere. Somehow she managed to get more records sorted and entered into the database but she was craving a smoke like nobody's business.

Grabbing up her smart phone she ducked out onto the balcony to light up  but it didn't calm her sense of growing agitation. Here it was late afternoon and Aodh still hadn't returned. It wasn't that far to get coffee. Berlin had way too many Starbucks and other places that served up those frilly concoctions. Hell should could have ground the beans herself and brewed it up quicker than this. Inhaling the smoke she thumbed though her email but none of them were from Aodh. It was a measure of her worry that she stubbed the smoke out before finishing it down to the nubbin as usual. She sent him a text asking what time he was returning but never got an answer. Back at her desk about 20 minutes later she sent him another text. Fortunately before she could properly blow up his in-box she had to rush off and supervise another training session with the recruits.

Throughout the entire archery lesson she was constantly checking her phone and ended up dismissing the class about 15 minutes early begging off to attend to an 'issue'. Even as the students cleared up their gear she had her nose in her phone texting again. This time the recipient would be quite a different O'Mongan.

She had first seen Fáelán at the Queen's Gala, yet another of their number who came in dress attire rather than the requested uniform. The sore spot was nearly gone as the night had provided quite another sort of discomfort that had totally eclipsed her fashion faux pax. Aodh had told her that he too was now a knight of The Order and was working down in the castle laboratory researching something to do with Reishi. He had given her a card to the lab, along with her other Sternritter level clearance for the entire castle. "Well, not the library or the vault", she mused wryly. He trusted her and yet...well, he was not very forgiving of what he viewed to be her gross moral negligence. That pained her endlessly, but it was what it was. At any rate, she hadn't had the time to speak with Fáelán for either she was busy or he was engrossed in his experiments or research was it? Probably both, that science stuff was not truly her strong suit and she only had the white coat image of what he might be up to while on the job.

Darting to her room even as her thumbs pecked away at the touch screen of her smart phone, she sent quite a few typos to the red headed O'Mongan. "have you seen Aogh at all? he we t out to get some coffee earlier this morning and hans't come back yet. he is not answering his messages either. I am going out to search. Can you meet me at the entrance and help out? Hurry. I am worried something bad happened." She hit send cringing as the image of all those typos finally registered but it was too late to edit. "Well, whatever. Hope he can read Calendranese", she mused. There was no time to be stressing over stupid shit. She would just duck into her quarters and put on her street clothes. Keeping a low profile didn't mean flaunting some weird military uniform all over the streets of Berlin into god only knew what quarter of the city.

Fortunately Fáelán was free and of a mind to help out. Clad in her pea jacket, a light tank top of green beneath, snug fitting jeans, and her chucks she met the redhead and said, "I hope you are good at Reishi Perception, Fáelán. I'm not too sure how good I will be with this stupid collar on. I haven't had to track anyone for quite a while and by now I can only catch a faint hint of his signature to say he went off into town in that direction", she blurted out without a proper greeting. She usually wasn't so flummoxed during situations keeping a pretty cool head but then Aodh's ability was also altered due to his Sanrei Glove and his being gone was just not like him at all. Obviously something horrid had occurred.

Word Count: 856 

Fáelán rested his elbows on the table and dropped his head into his hands. "Why is there so much paperwork? This castles past administration really fucked up." The mans hands raised up over his head as he ran his fingers through his hair, "I think im going to cry." He sat and stared at the unsorted paperwork on his desk for a moment before slamming his hands down on top of all the paper and with a mighty roar stood up and span round sending everything on the wooden surface flying around the room. For a few seconds he lost control of his reiryoku and it spiked, even the contents of the large tank on the edge of the room bubbled and spluttered momentarily before the Quincy regained his composure and suppressed his energies again.

Fáelán took a deep breath and let out an equally deep sigh, "Now i have to clean this up too." He knelt down, started to pick up the pieces of paper and stack them in his arm semi-neatly. The feeling of his phone vibrate in his pocket made startled him slightly, he straightened up and flicked the device unlocked. It was a text from Calendrea, "Huh, I haven't seen her around since the party. Wonder what she up to." It took the man a few seconds to decypher her horrible spelling. Using the thumb of the hand holding the phone he responded to her plee, "Sure, I'm free. His phone probably dead. I'll be up in a second. xxx" The Quincy locked the phone and slipped it back in his jeans pocket. He walked to the door as his lips began to curl upwards, 'Time for some fun.' The smiling man started to remove his lab coat before he remembered the small pile of papers in his arm, his smile became a grin as he threw his arm into the air tossing the papers along with it, scattering them around the room once again. He broke out laughing as he hung his lab coat on the hanger by the door, shut the door behind him and headed towards the elevator.

He saw Cal at the entrance to the castle and gave slight wave as he approached. He felt the chill of the breeze as it kissed his face when he looked out into the night. Fáelán was grinning ear to ear as he listened to Cal speak, he took out a hip flask from his right pocket and unscrewed the lid, taking a swig, "Well, my beautiful blonde friend, I have never had to track another person, the odd Hollow sure, but they are easier. It's the blood trail you see." The male Quincy's smile hadn't faded at all as he took another swig from his flask, "That said, even here in Berlin there are not too many Quincy with his power so he should stick out like a sore thumb once we get into the city itself." After taking a third swig, he turned his huge smile towards the woman and held the flask towards her, "Want some? They have some good whiskey here." He winked and pressed a finger to his lips as he started to walk down the steps of the castle.

Watching the strange fellow go from a smiling dolt to displeased looking man and right back was rather unnerving. It was as if Leon, himself were experiencing a rollercoaster ride from a distance. This man was several drinks too deep for his own good. Leon couldn't help but feel sorry for the man when the morning came. As a young man, he couldn't help but over indulge with his friends, which his father made sure he paid for his own stupidity three times over. The mere thought of those mornings made his skin crawl.

Aodh asking him, 'Better?' snapped him back to reality. Leon gave the drunk an incredulous look as nothing had changed. While a friendly enough chap, he was liable to get himself into trouble with that much power left unchecked. It was as if he were dealing with someone the first night they were legally able to drink, unable to control themselves or know their limits. With his right hand, the burly man massaged his forehead as the drunk waved over the bartender for yet another drink. Maybe now was the time to make his escape while Aodh was dealing with the bartender. Quickly, pushing with both hands against the bartop, the man rose to his feet and was promptly shot down with another question.

A groan left his lips as his heavy figure plopped back down on the stool, laying his arms and head down on the bar top as the man droned on about the order and 'her majesty'. It was enough to gag him. Then came the questions about a woman he couldn't possibly of known. Though, Calendrea was a rather interesting name to hear. Leon really didn't care. 

As the man fumbled with a dead phone, an idea did pop into his head. "Maybe. Just maybe if he calls her she'll come get his drunk ass out of here and I can finally get on with my night and continue to enjoy it!" Or, so he thought.

Rapping his knuckles on the bar, he raised himself back up and flagged down the bartender. "Give me a shot of whiskey." His gaze turned to Aodh. "Scratch that; Make it a double, neat." Trying to remain cordial was the problem. A problem in which he was aptly failing as he rubs hands on his face as if he was trying to brush the irritation off. But, now he had a name of the drunken man. Aodh O'Mongan, a man who's clan dominated dominate Ireland with their sphere of affluence. Oh, the 'joy' he felt in his heart. Especially when the man asked for his name twice. So, he was at that stage of drunk.

Giving in to the drunk, he finally answered. "Leon Wilhelm." Raising his drink, he drank the entire contents, turning the glass upside down and setting it down on the counter. "Nice to meet you formally, ya drunk." His words coated in an Irish accent, just for Aodh.

Reaching into his back pocket, he brandishes his smartphone, sliding it to the Irishman. "Please, call your friend... Calenda? No." Leon racked his mind for a second as he watched Aodh, making sure the man was listening. "Calendrea? Yes. Right? Bah!" He waved his left hand before him as if to wipe the thought away. "Just call her. Maybe she can help get your drunk ass in check." It was all man could really hope for at this moment. It was that or leave in hopes to find another dive that would accept him. Even then, with someone like Aodh letting out this much spiritual power, who knows what kind of trouble he could possibly attract to this helpless establishment. "If not, I'll get a cab once you're ready to go."

625
Total: 1108

Always with the booze, her mind protested as she reached for the flask and knocked back a sizable pull. Wiping her mouth on the sleeve of her pea coat she capped the tuck-away-bottle and handed it back. It was better than letting her emotions run wild and make her worthless tonight. "Thanks, Fáelán. You do make a good point, he shouldn't be that hard to find."

Not wishing to waste time dithering around, she headed down the steps remarking, "I hope you can keep up though. I don't plan on this taking all night." With that she gathered her Reishi and set that cushion of particles beneath her feet to activate her Hirenkyaku to speed over the expansive grounds of the castle and toward the city.

True to Fáelán's prediction Aodh wasn't hard to find. She had been worried that she would be no good at tracking him because she could just feel her abilities were not yet back to full strength, regardless of having had the torc forced on her for over a month now. Just the faintest trace frowning stronger by the moment.

Veering off she activated The Voice silently for telepathic communication. "I got a trace on him Fáelán. Jesus... it's so strong. Hurry up. He must be under attack to be throwing his power around like that!", her panic would no doubt translate to the man even without the sound of her voice to tinge her words.

It was taking much longer than she wished but his Reiatsu was growing stronger by the second as she zipped through the city until at last she released the effects of her Hirenkyaku drop down to the street right in front of a bar. There was no mistaking that this was the right place but God only knew what she would find inside for she didn't feel Hollows in the area at all.

Calming only slightly she pushed open the door to the bar with a little more force than intended, it banging off the wall as she marched herself into the middle of the crowded bar and looked around. Her sights immediately pinned to Aodh and with the wash of his unrestrained Reiatsu in the air it was a wonder she didn't detect Hollow.

Weaving her way through the crowd she could readily see that he was deep in his cups. What the hell? Even as drunk as he was that night on the castle tower he hadn't lost control over his signature like this. She couldn't even begin to imagine how much booze it took to put him in such a state. Sidling up to his left, her mentor towering over her she let her eyes examine the man he was with wondering if there was about to be a fight or something. He was certainly a large individual himself, but then everyone was when you were only 5'1" tall. She narrowed her eyes as that slight sensation of his Reiatsu filled her senses with a hint of smoke.

Turning to the O'Mongan she said, "Everything ok here Aodh?" Although she relaxed enough to keep her levels of panic from rising, her worry had not subsided in the least. What had happened to make him skip out on a whole day of work to go drinking and get so smashed in the process? And what did this man have to do with it. "You gonna introduce me to your friend?", she inquired full of innocent intent trying to keep the dread out of her voice all the while.

Word Count: 591 + 856 = 1447

Fáelán took a deep breath of the cool night air, it had been too lang since he'd been out at night. It was refreshing to get a lungful of the fresh air as he begn to walk towards along the grounds. Calendrea caught up to him and handed him his flask back, before speeding off into the night, "Well she's excited. I wonder why she has no belief in Aodh." The man summoned reishi below his feet and sped after her. She was quite a bit faster than him. Partly because he just wasn't in any hurry, but mostly because she was just faster.

Fáelán heard the womans voice in his head and he almost lost control of his hirenkyaku because of the surprise. He could feel the panic coming through the 'link' she had made as well as the fact the panic was trying to grip him. "Jeez woman, have some faith in your mentor. Even if there are Hollow around, he'll be able to handle it. And thirdly, if he's fighting he wouldn't release his power, he'd focus it." He let out a sigh, "The youth of today never think about anything do they?" With an exasperated groan he increased to his top speed, it still wasn't enough to match the blonde's speed, but at least he was trying now.

It wasn't long before Fáelán detected that familiar ping in the back of his mind that told him Aodh was nearby and headed to the source. He came to a stop in front of a bar, the man looked at the sign 'The Green Door'. "Hey this place has good whiskey, maybe i can get a refill while we're here." The Quincy stepped through the door and found his cousin and Cal, as well as a stranger. They seemed to be in some sort of stand off, "Tcht, don't ruin this bar for me guys, please." he muttered to himself.

Fáelán strode over to the trio and stepped into the middle of the set facing the bar, Cal and Aodh on his left the stranger on the right. He ignored all of them and tapped his flask on the bar, "Hey there George, how you doing tonight? I'll take the usual and can i get a top up on this?" He waved his flask at the bartender. The Quincy fidgetted in his wallet as he the bartender placed a double whisky on the bar infront of him and began to pour some more whiskey into his flask. "Thanks fella, here you go." He waved his card over the card machine to pay for the drinks.

Fáelán put the flask into his inside jacket pocket, and took a swig from his double whiskey. "Now then." He turned to Aodh and Cal, "You are too drunk." He pointed at Aodh, "You are too impulsive." His finger pointed at Cal, "And you..." He span around and eyed the stranger. He was a Quincy but not a very strong one, that much he could tell at a glance, "I hope you're not causing any trouble in my favourite bar." He glared at the stranger, obviously more concerned about the bar being trashed in a fight than the effect of said fight on his friends.

Wilhelm well that wasn't a familiar name but it sounded German and there was such an abundance of minor German Quincy Families that it was impossible to keep track of them all. He noted the man's accent with interest but Wilhelm certainly wasn't an Irish Clann. Nodding to the other man he nodded with a smile "Good to meet you too Leon. Your accent is interesting, can't say I recognise your family name as being from back home."

Waving away the offer of the phone Aodh shook his head "Unfortunately I don't know her number of the top of my head." he explained sorrowfully.

Now Aodh was drunk. Very, very drunk. However he wasn't utterly without reason and it had become quite obvious that the other man wasn't being very friendly. Perhaps Aodh had offended him in some manner as unlikely as that seemed! Maybe he was just an unpleasant man? Regardless the Irishman wasn't going to waste his time around someone who's mission in life was to be an utter downer.

Raising his glass to Leon he toasted the man, he felt no ill will to the other man despite his behaviour  "Slainte go saol agat,
bean ar do mhian agat.
Leanbh gach blian agat,
is solas na bhflaitheas tareis antsail seo agat." he said before knocking back the rest of his drink.

Putting the glass down Aodh leant on the bar before pushing himself to his feet. Swaying for a moment as he tried to find his equilibrium almost falling back into his seat. Turning he took a step away from the bar only to come up short with a look of surprise flickering across his features at the little woman standing in front of him. What was she doing here?

"Calendrea?" he asked in a quizzical tone. "What are you doing here?"

Hearing her question he sighed softly and gestured at the other man with a sloppy wave of his hand. "This is Mr Leon Wilhelm. I think he would like to be left to his drinking." he told her in a slurred voice.

Before they could leave however his attention was taken up by a new arrival. "Fáelán?" he exclaimed in surprise. Why was everyone suddenly showing up? Watching the other O'Mongan hand over a flask to get filled up caused Aodh to shake his head "That's not an attractive trait cousin." he noted woefully.

Hearing the cousin mention that this was his favourite bar a look that was equal parts disgust and disappointment filled the man's face. "Your favourite bar?!?" he asked in a far too loud tone. The obnoxious club music was still screeching out from the dance floor area and Aodh gestured as if to signal towards the noise itself. "I thought you had more taste than that." he added with a shake of his head quite within earshot of the bartender.

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WC: 478
Total WC: 1597

Wilhelm chuckled upon hearing Aodh say that he didn’t recognize the name from his country. “That’s because it’s German. You want my Irish name, it’s O’Haire.” What an odd duck. Silently, he grabbed his phone from the counter and slid it back into his back pocket. It really didn’t seem to matter, as it seemed like the man was going to be here for the long haul of the night.

Leon swung back his drink and promptly asked for more. “Bacardi 151 with coke, please.” The edge was beginning to wear off. What better way to completely take it off with a spirit with that’s nearly eighty percent alcohol?

The bartender came back with his glass, eyeing Leon for a moment, shaking his head. “Don’t overdo it on this.” Wilhelm couldn’t help but smile as he took the glass, rising it as Aodh gave an old Gaelic toast, he returned one in kind, “Croi follain agus gob fliuch!” Joining in with him as they both knocked back their drink.

There was a brief moment peace when suddenly Leon felt a sudden signature of reiatsu and then another! What the hell was going on here?

Suddenly there was an unknown man and woman standing next to them. The woman seemed pleasant enough, but the man seemed to presume he was causing trouble here. “The hell. All I wanted was to enjoy a drink in peace.” He thought to himself as a sigh escaped him.” Thankfully Aodh settled the peace.

“Bartender!” Leon called out. “Could you get me four drinks. One for me and three for them!” Turning on the barstool, the man looked at the group, suspicion growing at the trio. Where they here to take him in for not being part of the Court or where they just here to get the drunk out of here? Wilhelm didn’t know for sure, but he was on his guard.

Four shots of whiskey were slid toward Leon. The man gestured to them in turn. “Please, on me. “ His tone friendly as he could muster, his cheeks slightly aglow with a crimson hue as the alcohol began to really course through his system. There was a slight relief as he began to relax a bit more. Fortunately, he wasn't going to lost control over his spiritual energy like poor Aodh. The bigger question was: with this much spiritual energy left unchecked, would it catch the eye of any nearby hollow?

407

"Is praiseach cheart é an rud go léir", muttered Calendrea darkly as she took in the situation. Her hands clenched and unclenched reflexively as reality replaced her anxiety over Aodh's safety. He hadn't encountered another attack of Hollows, like on the night of the Gala. No, he was wasting the entire day bar hopping, if she knew anything about the cutoff limits in bars for he was clearly past that level of drunkenness, and not even bothering to call in to work with a fake excuse of being sick!

The potential for her to swing from worried to royally pissed off was very real, except for one glaringly obvious fact. The whole thing was so irresponsible and unlike anything he had exhibited before that she only grew more concerned. Her mind went over all the stressors of his new role within The Order, and hectic as it all was she just couldn't blame work for this restlessness. No, the root had to be more troubling than that. Aodh had always been busy, as near as she knew. His job teaching, his role as a sponsor for the Karakura High Archery Club, his involvement with KSN patrolling the city, not to mention the taking on of herself as his apprentice in addition to his own training goals had pretty much impressed her with how he could manage his time and energies. What he always refused to confront, however, were his emotions. Not once had he talked about the death of his father and on top of that she Fáelán both had disappeared just at the moment when he had entered into the order. Her cheeks reddened and she looked at the floor for a moment as she added her attempt to force him to express his feelings that night in the tower.

Breathing out to still the racing thoughts within her mind, she looked up and smiled at this drinking companion of Aodh's before reaching for the shot of whiskey. "Thank you, Leon. A pleasure to meet you", she spoke to the man as she resolved on her future course of action. Tipping up her shot glass, she knocked back the shot, looking to Fáelán for a clue what to do.

Although she had her fair share of experience with drunks, for most of the clientele who frequented the apartment building back in Vienna arrived in various stages of inebriation, she wasn't a huge fan of this sort of activity. Fáelán didn't seem too alarmed by it in the least and she would take his lead with regards to his cousin's drunkenness tonight. One thing was for sure, she would not be joining them for anymore drinks. Someone had to keep a level head on their shoulders.

Looking around at The Green Door, something soon began to enter her mind. The place was a brothel though not openly so even though prostitution was legal in Germany. There were no public exchanges going on, it wasn't a full blown den of iniquity, but the work staff were hustling drinks and steadily removing themselves to the other section of the establishment through what had to be the namesake of the bar in the back. No doubt that green door led to rooms where each and every client would get exactly what they paid for.

Her eyes went back to Aodh as a chill stiffened her spine. No way could he know what went on here, could he? It was unthinkable, and she felt that divisive barrier between them growing wider by the moment. Clutching the shot glass in her left hand, her right would slip into the inside of her pea jacket to pull her pack of smokes from the interior pocket. She had no business being here and intruding this way. He had not asked her to keep tabs on him, a grown man needing some teenage keeper? It was beyond ridiculous, as his question to her should have made obvious. “What was she doing here?”, her mind screamed. "I'm, uh... going to step outside for a smoke", her voice may or may not have been audible over the obnoxious beats of the dance music but she didn't care.

She wedged her way closer to the bar and set the empty shot glass on the tray before a man took hold of her arm. "I see you need a refill, Fraulein. How about I buy a bottle and we slip into the back for a little one on one?", he whispered into her ear. Shoulders tensing, her now empty hand clutching at the edge of the bar the sudden scent of basil filling the air wafted through the room as her emotions flared along with her Reiatsu. Damn it but she hated when Fáelán was right, she was much too impulsive.

Word Count: 799 + 1447 = 2246

Fáelán turned to the shot that was placed on the bar next to him, after staring at it for a moment he picked it up and downed it before replacing the shot glass on the bar. "Mr Wilhelm was it? You seem like a pleasent fellow, I apologise for my abrupt entrance. I'm Fáelán, nice to meet you. I hope my Aodh hasn't caused you any trouble, especially with his... lack of restraint." The man took a step back from the bar so that he could see all three of the others in front of him before looking at his cousin, "It's much nicer during the day. Honest. That aside, why are you in here? I can't see this being your kind of place. Apparently poor Cal here has been worried sick about you all day."

At that moment Fáelán felt Calendrea's reiatsu spiked, he span on his heel to see a man holding her arm with his face extremely close to her ear. The irishman glared at the stranger and he turned stepped towards the pair and began to raise his right hand. With a flick of his fingers the reiryoku ribbons peeled from his skin, as he placed his hand on the mans arm the ribbons seemed to burrow into his arm somewhat as Fáelán muttered under his breath, "Schrek." The Quincy then raised his voice so that it was clearly audible to the stranger and relatively clear to the group, "I do hope you're not trying to make a move on my lass. Cause if you are, we are going to have a problem." The stranger quickly looked at the Quincy seemingly annoyed at first, but his features quickly turned to fear. He snapped his arm out of Fáelán's grasp, "Of c-c-course n-not. I, errr, s-simply asked if s-she w-wanted more t-to d-drink." Fáeláns eyes glanced over to Cal before returning to the man, "Thats my concern, not yours." he pratically growled the final word. The man stared for a moment before departing rapidly, nearly tripping over the other clients as he went. As Fáelán turned back to the group he glanced at Cal, "You're not the only one who can do that anymore." He smirked lightly and flicked his fingers, causing the ribbons around his hand to evapourate.

He returned to Leon and Aodh, "So tell me, how long have you two been 'friends'? And what brings you to this lovely bar?" The smile on the mans face showed that he genuinely did like this place.

“Huh?” he blinked in surprise at Leon as the man bought them all a round of whiskey. Aodh thought the guy wanted to be left alone, that’s why Aodh was going to guide the other two away but now he seemed to want them to stick around for more drinks.

‘Make up your mind bud.’ he thought to himself.

Turning he approached the bar while leaning against it with a smile. “Thanks.” he said with a smile towards Leon before taking a shot glass and raising it towards the other man. “Slainte”

Downing the shot he let out an appreciative gasp. “Ahh…that was pleasant.”

Aodh’s gaze went to Calendrea and he grimaced. ‘She looks mad.’ he thought to himself while giving her a weak smile. “Hey Cal!” he said happily. “Hows your day been?”

However her demeanour seemed to change as she went from looking annoyed to something else? The man frowned, despite his drunken state, there was something obviously wrong with her as she made up an excuse about needing to go out and wandered off. She was lying…

Turning his attention to Fáelán he shrugged at his cousin “I’d the day booked off out of my schedule.” he said dismissively “I decided to go into the city to try and relax a bit, after working all day every day for the past few months I think I was due a day off I think, don’t you?”

Aodh frowned. “I ran into people I knew and got side-tracked.”

Aodh glanced at Leon and nodded to the man before approaching Fáelán and grabbed his shoulder. “What have I told you about using your powers like that?” he asked softly. Despite the obvious slur of his words there was a cold tone of authority lying underneath it. Intoxicated or not he was still a Sternritter.

“Stay at the bar and get to know Leon, he seems good people. I’ll be back in a bit.” he added in a more pleasant tone.

Moving over to Calendrea he threw his arm around her shoulder with a grin. He seemed to be nothing but a good natured drunk once more as he completely masked the worry he had for his friend. “Lets go outside Cal, it’s too noisy and warm in here to think.”

Without really giving her a chance to answer he pulled her through the crowd back towards the entrance. Once the two Quincy were outside he wandered a little way down the street to the nearest bench, away from the noise and other drunks. Taking his arm away from her the Sternritter dropped onto the bench with a sigh. Aodh was already starting to sober up a bit, it happened when he stopped drinking constantly and even though he was clearly still intoxicated his mind was beginning to clear a little. Unfortunately he could sense a migraine on the horizon.

“I fucking hate those places.” he muttered with a shake of his head. “Shit loud music, sticky floors, crappy overpriced drinks.”

Sighing he took a packet of cigarettes from his pocket and removed one before putting the carton back into his jacket. “So what’s up Calendrea?” he asked her leaning back into the bench as he lit his smoke and tilted his head slightly. “You didn’t seem happy and then you seemed…something else.” he asked her in a completely straight forward manner. He respected the woman too much to dance around the issue.

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WC: 574
Total WC: 2171

In a blink of an eye, Leon was suddenly left alone with Fáelán. To drink and go was rather rude, but at least they said thanks. The man looked to Fáelán, unsure what to do next, least there be an air of awkward silence between the two. That is if he didn't suddenly decide to run off to join the others. At least he seemed to be a reasonable fellow, enjoying a good drink. Maybe he could use that to his advantage and possibly get to know the man.

Then, there was the matter of how he handled that man hitting on Cal. It certainly was interesting. He really had to know what the man had pulled.

"Bartender!" Leon shouted, after hearing Fáelán refer to the man by name, surely he also knew what his favorite drink was. "Would you be so kind and get Fáelán here his favorite drink, on me." Being so kind to the stranger, Wilhelm hoped to become friendlier with the chap and hopefully pick his mind. Though, Leon had to be careful around him. Guessing by association, Fáelán had to also be a member of the court. Luckily for him, no one seemed to realize that he wasn't a friendly member of the faction.

"Come on, Fáelán." His words were jovial as he patted the barstool to his left with a small smile. "Tell me about yourself."

The bartender sat a small glass on the bar, sliding it slightly toward Fáelán. Leon gestured to the drink with his right hand. "Enjoy another drink on me and let me pick your mind for a minute."

Hopefully, this was more than enough for the man to feel at ease, just as if Leon was a long lost friend who finally came home to visit him. "Tell me about what you did to that man. You said to Calendrea that she's not the only to be able to do that anymore. I'm rather curious. I've never seen someone struck with fear so suddenly." It really was an oddity to him that had him curious as a cat. With any luck, between Fáelán's libations and the niceties Leon offered, the man would be an open book. It was all he could really hope for. And, if not, there was always that cigar he had tucked away in the pouch that hung on his left hip.

"If not, we could always join your friends outside for a nice smoke break." Even at the mere mentioning of it caused the cravings to seemingly crawl over his skin, causing him to suck lightly on his upper lip as he felt the tension draw at his being. Man, Leon really needed to start looking into some nicotine gum or a patch in times like this. Perhaps he could get lucky and his new found companion would choose both and they could go outside with their drinks. A person could only hope for so much.

WC: 481
Total: 1996

The sudden release of the man's grasp upon her arm drew her attention, as did the words which Fáelán directed to him. On any other given day, she would have extracted herself from the situation with little to no fuss, unless the imposing stranger would insist upon creating a situation. Then she would put an end to it one way or another, some most certainly less pleasant than other avenues open to her. However, she had been worried sick about Aodh and been shown just how ridiculous of a little twit she really was.

All her hard work to gain control over herself and her emotions just thrown out the window; again. She was growing increasingly reactionary, rather than focused and rational, and it was kind of pissing her off. Only this time she had dragged Fáelán away from his important research to fly across the city right off the handle behind her. So much for adulting. She couldn't even manage to shake off some guy in a bar without help. Her eyes went to the redhead, just shaking her head, "Sorry" she mouthed without saying a word. Somehow she would have to make it up to him, maybe let him collect some of her Reiryoku for his experiments. It was best she just vacate the premises before things went from bad to worse. Despite her curiosity about his new ability, she was not about to stick around and try to question him; she was just too embarrassed for words.

Turning to have that smoke, Aodh's arm slipped over her shoulders effectively barring her grand escape. She was much too stunned to object, and it wasn't until they were out on the street that his rush to get her out of the bar made sense. She had seriously overstepped the boundaries intruding into his free time and he was certainly not being shy about showing her the door. Even as he released her to sink down upon the bench she reached inside her coat for her smokes, needing one now more than ever. Just standing there, her back to the street and facing him, she lit her smoke, inhaled and then exhaled a stream of smoke with her head tilted slightly toward the sky. "Oh, don't worry about it Aodh", she waved her hand in the air to dismiss his concern. No way in hell was she going to make herself look worse than she already did by speaking the truth.

She took another drag from her smoke, taking her time to actually enjoy it while trying to talk herself down internally. He didn't ask her to check up on him, he certainly didn't need a keeper, and what he did to unwind was simply none of her God damned business. She wasn't his and never would be. "It was just a minor panic attack", she led off with the first of her lies, though that certainly was true. "You were not answering your phone and I imagined all sorts of horrible troubles that could have befallen you", she drew from the smoke again, her weight shifting to her right hip and letting her left leg pivot outward as she looked up the street for a likely escape route. Her voice trailed on enumerating the things he should dismiss as trivial, laugh and chide her, before she could take off and he could get back to his 'unwinding', "and even drug Fáelán out of his lab to help me track you down."

That was part of a good story, always lead off with a bit of truth. She turned to give him a slight grin before she fed him the whopper, "I'm fine though Aodh. Just embarrassed that I wasted your cousin's time. I think I will head on back though. Try to unwind a bit with a good book or something. It's been a bit hectic, you know?" It was a great story, completely believable were it not for her emotions causing her Reiatsu to flare around all over the place.

Word Count: 474 + 2246 = 2720

Fáelán glared at his cousin's comment, who was he to mention lack of restraint right now. The man who wasn't holding his power back in the slightest, and probably hadn't been all day. Lord only knows how many Hollow he had attracted to the city causing more work for the other Quincy, but more importantly how many lives had been risked because he couldn't be bothered to try and reign it in even a little. However despite all this he just patted his cousin's shoulder as he passed by, spinning on his heels to face Cal, "Make sure he doesn't eat his shoes." Before spinning back and standing next to Leon.

As Fáelán returned to the bar he found Leon had ordered him a drink, "Why, thank you sir. What would you like to know?" He drank his drink as the new Quincy asked about what had just happened. Fáelán waved at the bartender and gestured to himself and Leon indicating that he wanted to return the favour of buying a round. "The effect is a priavte matter between Cal and I, the actual thing I just did however was a Ginto spell of my own design. Ginto is my specialty, still not got it fully mastered but i'm getting there." He picked up his drink almost immediately after it was placed on the bar. "Shall we join the others while you tell me a little bout yourself?" The Quincy gestured with his free hand towards the door and flared his reiatsu a couple of times before controlling it again to signal to the other pair. Hopefully they'd figure out he was trying to warn them to wrap up any personal business they didn't want the new guy to hear.

Aodh smiled, he seemed to be sobering up although that was far from the truth. He had simply drank enough, slowed down enough and was now inhaling enough fresh air that his mood was shifting. The man had a tendency to suffer from mood shifts going from stupidly happy and chatting to somewhat morose and his drinking almost always ended with him feeling more or less depressed. It was worst today if he was honest with himself. This short freedom from his duties only reminded the man how unhappy and trapped he had been feeling since joining the Order. Yet there was no way he could see of alleviating those negative feelings, he wasn't a soldier... he probably never would be at heart but the Quincy needed him. Did that sound arrogant? Maybe. However it was sadly true. Along with the woman next to him the Irishman was one of the most powerful and skillful Quincy in existence, possibly the best Archer in the entire world as well which was a much needed skill when it came to training his people.

Listening to Calendrea the mans smile turned sad and he shook his head slightly. Reacting without thinking he put his arm around her shoulders again and hugged her gently before taking his arm away again.

"I'm sorry Cal." he said gently using a Nickname without really planning to, had he ever used it before? It was true he'd officially booked the entire day off and she should have been able to see that but equally it didn't actually matter. The fact was she had worried and he had been the cause, that was enough to make the man feel regretful.

"It's rather unlike me to behave like this... isn't it?" he asked with a chuckle, it was forced and low on actual humour. Even to his own ears it sounded empty. "I just... I don't know." he admitted weakly with a shake of his head. Aodh turned his gaze up towards the stars although the City's light made it hard to see the heavens above.

'Heaven... what a joke.' he thought with surprising bitterness. He didn't even know what he believed anymore but he knew his faith was a Hollow shell of what it would be had he grew up without the knowledge of the Quincy. The knowledge of the true damnable afterlife.

He took a drag of his cigarette, using it as an excuse to stay silent and try to think of a proper response. She hadn't asked but she deserved an answer. She had been there for him ever since turning up at the party and he owed her for everything. "I..." he hesitated unsure what he was wanting to say. "I'm tired Calendrea." he told her, he wasn't thinking and the words just came flowing "Every day there is so much more to tackle. More than that it's just... nothing is getting better. We're finding more recruits sure but is the Order really helping Quincy? I.. I don't know." he muttered feeling a little sick "But worst of all are the Soul Reapers. I'm afraid Calendrea... afraid that this is going to become an actual war. I don't know who's going to cross the line but eventually someone will, I can feel it."

He shivered slightly. "And all the Hollow... God how many Souls are we destroying? How many people are we removing the chance of a second life from? I mean... we have no choice. We need to protect the living. It's our duty but does that make it easier? Make it right?"

Sighing he paused. Realising what he'd said he glanced at her and shook his head before forcing a smile to his lips. "Well... never mind. I've just drunk too much I guess." he tried to joke.

Trying to think of something he chuckled, injecting as much levity as possible into the sound "You know everyone seems worried about my Spiritual Power but... the fact is I'm just not holding it back like I usually go. I'm not stupid, just drunk, I know my tight grasp of my Power is causing my Reiatsu is leak out.. but it's not like it's running loose. It's no more open than that man's is... or how my cousin's flickers around. Certainly not as bad as Frey's roaring power." he told her conversationally trying to change the conversation. He cursed his drunk tongue for running wild like that. "After all if I was exerting it..." he paused and for a brief moment the full strength of Aodh's Spiritual Pressure crashed down around them before immediately vanishing. If either Fáelán or Leon had been nearby it would have brought them to their knees... possibly worst.

"Worrywarts."

Waving his hand in a gesture of dismissal suddenly as his intoxicated mind finally caught up with the tail end of the conversation Aodh shook his head. "Don't worry about wasting Fáelán's time. He does that frequently enough himself. Pfft... research. He just likes playing around in that Lab of his and, occasionally, he might give us something useful."

---------------------------------------------
WC: 845
Total WC: 3016

Ginto - something that Leon barely had experienced, at least in his clan. The Wilhelm clan seemed to go with the more physical aspect of fighting. Something like what he experienced from Faelan could certainly be useful if he could add it to his arsenal. But, that would be hard considering no one in his family used it. Would he have to submit to the Order in order to learn such a technique himself? Hopefully not. The thought itself would’ve made him shudder had he not been in control of himself.

To do something as such that would cause his family to cast him out. Well, at least the Wilhelm clan portion. To be honest, Leon wasn’t quite sure on whether or not the O’Haire side of his family would do the same. There was always talks of going back, but the ties to his father’s clan were the only thing holding them back. Who was to say what the future holds? Maybe there was someone in the O’Haire clan that could possibly teach him instead.

Faelan suggested that they take their conversation outside. Perhaps the man was getting lonely in the company of a stranger. Leon couldn’t blame him, especially in a setting like this. Maybe taking it outside would make him feel a little more open to talking. That being the case, the Quincy did have that cigar stowed away in his side pouch that was ready to be smoked. “Alright. Alright.” Leon said gently, gesturing with an open right hand to the door.

Standing up, Leon smiled, reaching for his wallet in his left back pocket. Waving his left hand at the bartender, he asked the man for the tab, plus a nice foam cup filled with some honey Jim Beam to go. Pulling his wallet out, the man thumbed through his bills, pulling out the right amount, throwing it on the bar as he grabbed his foam cup with his left hand, stowing his wallet away. “Keep the change, bud!”

Heavy steps hit the floor as Leon lead the way through the crowd of dancers and wanders as they made their way through the bar and the sudden release of Aodh’s spiritual pressure stopped the man in his tracks. Leon paused for a moment, it was a moment of sheer terror that passed through his body as he realized the sheer magnitude of what the over friendly drunk possessed. Then, in a blink of an eye, it was gone. Leon definitely needed that cigar now.

The air was cooler, hitting the burly Quincy in a somber wave, kissing his sweat kissed skin, a single bead running down from his right brow, quickly disappearing into his beard. “Ah!” The man barked loudly, enjoying the relief of the open sky, opening his arms up wide as he leaned back slightly as if he were to fall. Rising back up, he took a drink from his cup as his left hand reached into his pocket, pulling out his cigar cutter. Tucking it between his right pinky and ring finger, the man unlatched his black leather pouch at his hip, pulling out a larger cigar. Moving away from the entrance to not impeded traffic in and out of the building, Leon placed his cup at his feet.

“Just a moment.” The Quincy said to Faelan carefully positioned the cutter at the end of his cigar, eyeing it precisely. “Gotta get the right cut.” Leon mumbled out loud as he snipped the end off, tucking the cutter back into his left pocket, bringing out a lighter. Putting the cigar in his mouth, he pressed the button on his lighter, an audible click was heard as three flames erupted from the top. Bringing the flame over to the end his cigar, Leon took three small drags, drawing the flames over the end, completely igniting the end in a large ember.

Nicotine - an addiction that he could ‘quit’ any day. Least the man had in his mind. This paired with his drink was all he needed for the night. That and the company of a lovely woman. A light chuckle left him as Leon reached down and grabbed his drink. “Sorry. Just after that show… I really needed a smoke.” In all honesty, the man’s mind was blank. Faelan was more than happy to carry on the conversation, but Leon had mentally checked out for the moment. Never had he realized the power someone from the Order could be so large. The thing was, Leon wasn’t even sure if that was all of it. It was nothing more than a momentary influx.

The Quincy puffed on his cigar as he and Faelan walked over to the pair of conversing Quincy. Leon wasn’t sure what to think about being part of this little group anymore. Taking a drink from his foam cup, the man looked over the brim for a moment, straight at Aodh. There was truly something scary about a drunk man who possessed such power. It was like an idiot with a cannon running about. Had the Order become even more dangerous since the days of the old king?

It seems like the Federation had to get things in order and start getting more information. Leon surmised that it had to be far, far outdated because something like this man would have most certainly been on the top of the list. Truly, they had to have been running blind to overlook this. “That was certainly some show you were putting on there. Note taken that you do have some control over your spiritual power. Sorry for saying otherwise.” The Quincy had to make some attempt at apologizing. Had he truly known the extent of the Irish Quincy’s power, he would have just kept his mouth shut. Looking back, Leon had certainly made an ass of himself in that situation.

“I didn’t know the true extent of what power you possessed.” A chuckle left him. “It makes me ask if I can borrow some of that and how much more do you have?” Might as well gather as much intel on this guy as he can. This guy’s ability was certainly more eye-raising than Faelan’s ginto.

WC: 1032
Total: 3028

Watching the effect of her words upon his face she viewed his mood shift knowing that she was being a total downer to his time off. It couldn't be helped now, but it sure could be prevented in the future. She just hadn't expected him to give her a hug, and yet so easily she shifted slightly into his embrace as though it were the most natural thing. The sight of his chest obscured her vision and for a brief span she closed her eyes and just relaxed. When his arms fell from about her, she turned her head away and leaned back once again.

She didn't want a man who had to get drunk in order to touch her, though that certainly seemed to be the trend. No misinterpretations, however, were attached to those fleeting gestures in her mind. She knew them for what they were and in the spirit they were given. Breathing out a cleansing breath, her eyes drew back toward him upon its completion. The words of his apology prompted her to protest, but she held her peace until he was finished.

He sounded drained and worn out to her, as would anyone given similar circumstance, as he spoke on his behavior. The timber of his laugh only served to reinforce the impression and hearing him admit to uncertainty, then gaze up to the sky as though seeking answers, drove the point home. If she were doing her job correctly then there was no need for him to be feeling so overwhelmed. She didn't have to chase out over the city in fear of his safety, but she did have to give thought to his work load.

The smoke from his cigarette drifted through the air even as she field stripped her own, stubbing the coal out against the sidewalk beneath her shoe. His hesitancy in speaking directed her attention once more to his face. She had never seen him so at a loss for words, then all at once his fears just came pouring out before her. Each and every one mirrored her own. There was the sense of being overwhelmed, the questioning if they were making a difference, and the growing tensions with the Shinigami. It was his concern over killing Hollows and destroying souls that was the most troubling of all.

Typically once he was through he tried to change the subject, redirect the conversation rather than discuss these fears in depth. Feeling his Reiatsu wash over her as he made his point, she lifted her foot to brace against the seat of the bench and endured the press of his power. The thought of him losing control was laughable; when did he ever? He was always in tight control of everything. Sinking down onto the bench beside him she had to wonder what would happen if he ever did.

"Worrywarts", she repeated as she leaned forward to prop her elbows upon her knees and fold her hands before her. She had felt the pulse of energy from Fáelán and knew their private moment was about to end. Leaning forward as she was, she looked past Aodh on the bench beside her toward the front of the bar. "Well I guess we all suffer from that now and then", she concluded. Leaning back, she stretched her legs out and crossed them at the ankles. "Is it any wonder with everything that is going on?", she smirked casting her gaze upon him in profile. "I tell you what. I won't freak out if I can't see you for three seconds if you won't feel like you have to solve everything all by yourself; ok?"

She brought her right hand up to toy with the Mekkyaku dangling from the torc round her neck. "And you don't fool me a bit, Aodh O'Mongan. I don't believe Fáelán is just playing around any more than you do", she said dismissing his dig against his cousin. They were always throwing shade at one another as though putting up with each other was a huge burden. In reality she suspected they would be lost without the other. "Why don't you just set him to developing a way for us to banish Hollow from our world without destroying them?", she shrugged just spit balling for solutions to the issue. "Or maybe if you had someone...", she drew out the word teasingly, "... delve into the archives to do some research..." She pursed her lips as though stumped as to who that might be and shook her head, "Maybe there has been research into alternative techniques. I mean, we are not the first of our kind to find ourselves in a similar situation. Surely it stands to reason that others before us have explored the options before them and recorded their findings." It was a long shot, and she was only partially teasing him about the library, but didn't they have a responsibility to try? "I wonder if Murat would be willing to let your cousin gather a sample of his Reiryoku to study in comparison to our own?", she suggested.

The door to the bar opened before she got too far along with that train of thought. Bending her knees, she drew her feet across the sidewalk and tucked them beneath the bench. The smell of Leon's cigar caused her to crinkle her nose a bit, it was not something she had ever gotten used to despite being a smoker. Cigar's were just more harsh smelling to her unlike pipe tobacco that could smell much better than it tasted. She didn't quite know what to make of the man and would be interested in hearing what the red head made of him. As he had addressed Aodh, she held her tongue and just listened for now. She nodded to Fáelán trying to read his expression and draw some sort of conclusion.

Word Count: 980 + 2720 = 3700