(no subject)

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

The front door opens, and Xas steps through, hair a little disheveled and sunglasses hanging lightly from one hand.

Someone was driving with the top down, apparently.

The city noises fade behind him as the door closes, and he heads over to Bar to get a glass of wine.

There's a particular vintage he's been missing, of late.

Comments

[un_fallen]

Someone else is having a glass of wine, just a few stools over. Raguel raises his a bit and offers a hint of a smile. Good mood, after all.

"Think you're rubbing off on me," he says.

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

Xas smiles back, lifting his own glass to his lips and taking a slow swallow.

"I don't think I would mind that, were it the case."

[un_fallen]

"I do drink wine when you're around," he insists.

He does think he's probably missed something, and he considers it a narrow escape.

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

Xas' tongue swipes briefly over his lips, catching a stray wine droplet.

"I'd noticed. Is it a horrible breach of custom for you?"

[un_fallen]

"Not really. Well." He reconsiders, contemplating the glass for longer than should really be necessary.

"Yeah, I guess, but I only drink the other because it's what I do, you know? And it's really good, don't get me wrong. But I'm probably missing out, not trying everything I can."

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

Xas smiles slowly, soft laughter following close behind.

"Oh, I quite agree. I know there are certainly I few things I wouldn't mind introducing you to--to broaden your horizons, as it were."

[un_fallen]

"Yeah?" he says, after a moment's hesitation.

Somewhat more hopefully, if quietly, "...drinks?"

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

"That will do for a beginning, I imagine."

His smile, though, is a little wry as he looks at Raguel.

[un_fallen]

"Yeah," he replies, looking at the bar.

"Wine was a good beginning, I thought."

[snakes-inna-bar.livejournal.com]

There's movement close by, low to the ground. A soft hissing, and the rub of scales on the wooden floor.

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

Xas looks down, calm, and perhaps a little curious.

[snakes-inna-bar.livejournal.com]

A king cobra rears up several feet to his left, hood flaring out to either side.

It gives a loud, angry hisssss. Its head is almost at the same height at Xas'

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

Xas' eyebrows go up, but he doesn't look particularly terrified.

As long as it's not an angelic cobra, he's safe enough.

Though--likely the rest of the patrons aren't.

And that would be why he starts speaking, voice low and resonant, though the tongue isn't one to be much heard, on Earth.

[snakes-inna-bar.livejournal.com]

Thing is, trying to talk with the snakes is a bit like arguing with angry and horny cokeheads.

Thus, his reply is roughly equivalent to 'I FUCKED YOUR MOTHER, YOU mumblemumble @#$%!'

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

Xas' reply is very dry, and perhaps a little stern.

And still in that alien other tongue.

You're presuming I had a mother, silly little thing.

[snakes-inna-bar.livejournal.com]

The cobra does several feints forward, rising up higher on its body and flaring its hood even more.

It hisses again, fangs flashing.

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

Xas' expression goes a little tight, blue eyes flashing surprisingly bright.

"Do not even dare."

[thirty-pieces.livejournal.com]

Judas may have supernatural-dar.

Judas looks up at the noise; stares a little longer than is customary, even where Xas is concerned.

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

Xas has learned to know when people are watching him.

That's probably why he turns toward Judas, leaning artlessly against the bar, watching him in turn.

And if his eyes are a bit wider than they were a moment before, and if his breathing hitched, well.

Maybe he just swallowed wrong.

[thirty-pieces.livejournal.com]

He arches an eyebrow momentarily, noticing.

Then Judas gets up and, gait impossibly foreign, ancient, walks over.

Smiles: "Shalom."

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

Not so foreign as all that, perhaps, not for Xas.

The lean, however, is now a bit more artful. Blame the slight tension that stiffens his spine, if you like.

"Hello."

Xas' smile is small.

"I begin to think I've been away for far too long."

[thirty-pieces.livejournal.com]

"Why is that?" asks Judas.

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

"Too many new faces."

His lip quirks.

"Or faces that should be new, and--aren't, quite. It's rather disconcerting."

[thirty-pieces.livejournal.com]

He gives that some thought. "I think you may need to explain that . . .

"I'm Judas, by the way."

His expression becomes slightly defensive.

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

"Ah. Well. That would explain it, wouldn't it."

Xas studies him a moment, some fine tension leaking out of his frame.

Some of it remains, though.

"I'm Xas. It--"

Well. How to put this?