( 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]

What idea would that be?

[geophile]

Propositioning yourself, if I may be blunt.

[ normally he wouldn't be, but inebriation sure helps with it. wheeeeee. ]

[pr159]

[ he'd been prepared to give a snarky response to whatever steven's answer was, but instead, something about that phrasing rubs him the wrong way -- propositioning someone in a bar would make him trashy, right? -- and he takes a second to finish his drink before he says anything. ]

Do you want that to be the wrong idea?

[geophile]

[ "trashy" seems like a harsh word, but it's definitely not steven's style. he's far more accustomed to formal courtship than one-night stands, which is what rideaux's language seems to be implying. he's meeting his gaze head-on, but there's more uncertainty in his eyes than intensity.

where on earth is this going? ]

...I don't particularly care either way.

[pr159]

[ up until a moment ago, at least, it had been going nowhere; any sexually charged comments rideaux had made had been made for the express purpose of making steven uncomfortable and teasing him for being a stick in the mud.

the more he feels like he's being looked down on, though, the more appeal he sees in the idea of dragging steven down to whatever he sees as his level. and with an answer like that... hm. ]

Oh? That implies that you aren't opposed to the idea.

[geophile]

[ this is ridiculous. by all means, he should be completely opposed to this - while this evening certainly has had them getting to know each other, the fact of the matter is that steven barely knows rideaux, nor would he consider himself "fond" of him.

and yet, something about the haze of the alcohol affecting him and the suggestive nature of the conversation has him oddly... intrigued? is that the word for it? he doesn't know, but whatever he's feeling isn't outright rejection of whatever implication is hovering around them. ]

Whatever your proposing likely isn't something I would agree to while sober.

[pr159]

[ which is the same as saying that it is something he's willing to agree to now, isn't it? interesting. rideaux hadn't pegged him as someone with an interest in men, but then, he doesn't fit that bill himself either. ]

Then we can make sure we don't run any risk of thinking too clearly for the rest of the night.

[ with that, he orders a round of shots -- a strong mix of peppermint and cinnamon schnapps that should do the trick. ]

[geophile]

[ pretty much, yeah. he's not quite ready to admit it out loud just yet, but somehow it might be... interesting? sure. that's what he's looking for.

his last glass of whiskey had already put him at his limit, so the shots that are being ordered will sufficiently tip him over it. but that's all right - he can certainly hold his liquor without making a fool of himself, and seeing as they're matching each other in drinks, he doubts rideaux will be far behind him.

he rubs his eyes with a thumb and forefinger, sighing exasperatedly... but there's a smile there. ]

You are a terrible influence.

[pr159]

[ if steven really thinks rideaux is going to be almost as intoxicated as he is after the same number of drinks, he is vastly underestimating how much rideaux drinks and for how many years he's been doing it. but rideaux is just fine with letting him believe that his capacity for making rational decisions is equally compromised right now. no one has to know to what extent he's going to be the one -- if you will -- calling the shots. ]

I know.

[ he smiles, and slides one of the shot glasses over to steven when they arrive, deliberately brushing his fingers with his own as he places it in front of him. ]

But you only live once, right?

[geophile]

[ he knows deep down that he's likely far more fucked up than rideaux is, but it makes him feel a little better to try and convince himself of otherwise. in a roundabout way, he's possibly agreed to something he wouldn't even fathom if he was in his right mind, but right now? it's starting to sound like a better and better idea. his rationale is that maybe he can relax a bit, just for once. ]

In this place, maybe more.

[ and he's downing that shot with a wry smile before setting it back on the bar counter with a little too much force. ]

[pr159]

[ he shakes his head with a smirk at the clumsy way that glass gets slammed down, then knocks back his own shot, and exhales, signalling to the bartender that he's ready for his check. ]

So, your place or mine?

[geophile]

[ fuck you, man. he'll do the same though, signalling for his own bill - he's not about to let rideaux pay for him. drunk or not, a gentleman foots his own bill. ]

I'm of sound enough mind to know better than to let you into my apartment.

[pr159]

[ then he'll be glad to know rideaux had no intention of paying for anything of his but that last shot.

that response to his question, while he imagines it's just an extension of their usual playful hostility toward one another rather than a genuine slight, still pisses him off. duval had had few enough high-class establishments that it hadn't been much of an issue there, but he still remembers those places in trigleph that had denied him entrance when he had taken on job requests there as a child. the former owner of the inn at the harbor in particular... it had been immensely satisfying to find him among the injured victims of a derailed train years later and pass him by to tend to other passengers. he used a folded-up copy of the obituary as a bookmark for years. ]

I'm sure I have no idea what you're getting at.

[ with the credits deducted from his account, he rises from his seat and smooths his hair. ]

But if that's what you prefer, I'm more than happy to lead the way.

[geophile]

[ while he may not be aware of the extent to which that offhanded comment affected him, it was partially intentional. despite agreeing to do this, he wants rideaux to have as little on him as possible - there's only a few ways to do that while drunk, but not getting too comfortable would be one of them.

with the same from his account, he sighs and rises from his seat, adjusting the cuffs of his suit. it's a little slower than usual as to not make him too dizzy, but the look in his eyes is certainly glazed. ]

Then let's not linger.