( closed ) tell me why the dark side just captures my eye

[geophile]

Who: steven ( geophile ) & rideaux ( pr159 )
When: IC 8/11
Where: a classy little bar in the pleasure district.
What: in an attempt to see if he has any basic social skills, rideaux has invited steven out for drinks. things escalate.
Rating/Warning: 14A for alcohol consumption, some heavy drunken flirting, and a morning after, but nothing worth locking.

---

[ it isn't that steven is nervous about this meeting in the slightest - when rideaux has asked him out for drinks, it was in a snarky, borderline malicious way that steven understood. this is nowhere near a date, and he intends to hold his own and prove the other man wrong about whatever silly assumptions he had made about him thus far.

still, he'd be lying if he said that he wasn't anticipating whatever interaction was going to come out of this. he can't say that he likes rideaux very much, but he seems like an interesting person. if he's the kind of drinker that finds himself to be loose-lipped upon having one too many, he might learn a thing or two.

of course it doesn't occur to him that he himself may be the first one to get tipsy, but that's a bridge that will be crossed later. for now he's sitting at the bar, finger swirling around his glass of whiskey (neat, no ice) as he waits for his "companion". ]

Comments

[pr159]

[ after setting the pick down neatly on his napkin, he chuckles and raises his glass to his lips for another sip. ]

Please, you were inviting the question with a flowery answer like that. And passing on a question was also not a part of the arrangement. It's not off-limits as long as we're willing to answer it ourselves.

[ that "within reason" crap had gone out the window when they agreed to this. he leans forward slightly, and rests his chin in his hand. ]

So here's my answer: No.

[ obviously, given that last answer. ]

And now, again, it's your turn.

[geophile]

[ ugh. he finds himself recoiling as much as rideaux leans forward - in an attempt to be lighthearted, he's been pushed into a corner. he'd really rather not answer a question like this, but he supposes it wouldn't really be the end of the world...

though that's not to say his fluster doesn't show lightly on his cheeks. he clears his throat, hoping to regain some kind of composure. it just wasn't proper to talk about things like this so frivolously. ]

...No.

[pr159]

[ rideaux raises his eyebrows. he's a little surprised, honestly, in part because he wouldn't expect that much defensiveness from a grown man if the answer was no, but whatever.

he just hopes it was with a human. ]

That wasn't really so hard, was it?

[geophile]

Let's move on, shall we?

[ yes it was with a human, oh my god... but it isn't out of shame that he was being defensive, but because it just wasn't something that he's one to boast about. it isn't a part of what makes him who he is, and he was brought up to have a little more tact than to talk about such a private thing in a very public venue with someone who isn't a partner.

he takes a longer sip of his drink this time to take the edge off of his thoughts. there has to be a way to switch this around somehow in his favour...

... oh.

he smiles. ]

Are you aware of the meaning of your first name?

[pr159]

[ the smug look rideaux has been wearing for a while now changes to one of mild confusion as he frowns at the question -- and at the suspicious smile that accompanies it. ]

The meaning of it? It's a first name, it doesn't have to have one.

[ it's middle names that have real meaning in elympios, so he could tell him the meaning of that one. as for his first name, though, he doesn't know where it came from; he imagines his mother just liked the way it looked. ]

[geophile]

Oh, I beg to differ.

[ he laces his fingers as he subdues his smile, but he knows that this is gonna be good. ]

I'm multilingual, you see. One of the languages I speak is known as Kalosian in my world, but other people here in the colony know of it as French. In that language, "Rideaux" has a very... unique meaning to it.

[pr159]

[ you are so full of shit ]

And what would that be?

[geophile]

[ thank you arceus, for blessing him on this day ]

Curtains - as in, drapery used to dress windows.

[ he takes a nonchalant sip of his drink. ]

I think it's quite beautiful.

[pr159]

[ really? that's what he came up with? he takes a drink as he narrows his eyes, looking thoroughly unimpressed. ]

Cute. You know I could make up a foreign meaning for your name just as easily.

[geophile]

Of course you could. But you wouldn't have proof to back it up, would you?

[pr159]

Oh, you do?

[geophile]

Of course. As I stated prior, I'm not the only one in the colony who speaks the language.

[ and he'll pull up his cerevice from his inner suit jacket pocket to give someone a ring. ]

[pr159]

[ WAITS ]

[geophile]

[ and with that confirmation all squared away, he'll bid adrien goodbye and end the call, tucking his cerevice back into his pocket. acting smug is a vice for steven, but he can't help it at the moment. ]

I am many things, Rideaux. A liar is not one of them.

[pr159]

[ FUCK

OFF ]

Fine.

[ he hasn't had his second drink for long, but he finishes it in short order now, and sets the glass down with a huff. ]

Do keep in mind, however, that the writing system in my world is completely different than yours, so it's not really the same. It just happened to be transliterated this way.

[geophile]

[ HELL yes. he'll take that as a victory for him, taking a sip of his own drink that has him nearing the end of his glass. it'll be hard to wipe off the smile from his face now, mr. curtains. ]

I'll elect to enjoy the fact that it's relevant in the present, thank you very much.

[ but since he feels (minimally) bad about it, he'll order another round of drinks for the both of them. see, he can be the bigger man. ]

My treat.

[pr159]

[ he's not going to thank him, nor is he going to bother pressing him to answer that same question, since he's clearly not going to get anything nearly as good out of it.

ugh, he can't even think of a good question to ask as revenge now, all he can think about is how much it pisses him off knowing that some people here have been aware of this all along and have been laughing to themselves whenever they've seen him. all of these "french" people can go to hell. ]

Well. Shall we leave the game there, then?

[geophile]

[ such is the beauty of silent ridicule. he hates to be the one to burst the bubble that's probably been going since rideaux arrived here, but someone had to tell him at some point. besides, the reaction made it more than worth it. ]

And just when I've managed to best you... But I suppose I've revealed enough about myself for one night.

[ that doesn't erase the fact that he's on his third drink, though. he's sufficiently buzzed, and the light tint on his cheeks is proof. ]

[pr159]

[ ohhhh don't even. rideaux turns to steven with a fiery glint in his eye, touching a gloved finger to his face and running it lightly down his jawline as he leans in. ]

Let's not forget what I said about picking a fight with me.

[geophile]

[ what ]

...I've done no such thing.

[ he's standing his ground, but that's a little too close for comfort... ]

[pr159]

[ he stays close for a moment, looking over steven's face and watching his expression, before drawing back and reaching for his drink instead. ]

Why don't we scrap that last round and start over with a more appropriate question.

[ though it's phrased as a suggestion, it's really not. ]

[geophile]

[ the breath he lets out when he moves away is closer to sounding like a light sigh, but it's easy to miss. that sudden loss of distance has taken the edge off of his attitude - his smile is calm again, but far less confident. ]

Are you quite sure about that?

[ he's stalling for time to take a looooong sip of his drink. ]

[pr159]

[ he takes a fairly long sip of his own, and closes his eyes for a moment before smiling back. ]

I am.

[geophile]

[ he sighs, drumming his fingers on the bar counter slowly as he thinks about what to ask. it needs to be something vague; something non-personal. at this point, he wants to stand by his statement about not revealing much more about himself. ]

How do you take your coffee?

[ innocent enough. ]

[pr159]

[ it is, and while it's a bland question, it does manage to temper his sudden bad mood a little and get things back on track. ]

Black, one sugar.