milliways_bar | (no subject)

"Greetings, Mark Antony," Teja says, when he sees the Roman come in. "How do you fare?"

He smiles, turning his steps toward Teja.

"Beautifully," he says. "Fortune has taken a liking to me; lucky for me she's a woman, eh? And how have you been? Doing well, I hope."

"I have been doing well," Teja says. Antony looks younger than at some times when he has seen him, before. But he does know him.

"Very well."

He's a couple years older than he was when he first came to the bar, but long before Mutina or Egypt. Still in that glorious stage of his life when everything was possible, and he hadn't ever really tasted defeat.

"Glad to hear it," he says, clapping him on the shoulder. "You should be happy. You should drink--it's a holiday."

"It is," Teja says. "It is the midwinter holiday, or near it. All are preparing for it, and I made gifts for those that are dear to me, in the forge, in addition to the commissions I am paid for."

Pause.

"When you were here earlier, have you ever tasted the drink called whiskey, or scotch?"

His grin falters, but only for a moment. "I hope people will understand if I haven't brought gifts, though I'm sure I could slip back home and get some, if the door obliges. But my company should be gift enough, for now. And I think I have had whiskey. It burns, but not as strongly as tequila, yes?"

"It is amber-coloured, and somewhat smokey in taste," Teja says. "It burns, but not much. I like it."

"I seem to remember one of the bartenders giving some to me," he says. "Of course, I probably had a lot more after that, and may not remember much else. But the memories I have associated with it are pleasant ones, not as good as rum, not as bad as tequila."

"The bad one, for me, is a clear, biting liquid named vodka," Teja says.

"...I don't remember if I've had that one," he says. "Is it so pleasant, so enjoyable that you drink far more of it than you should, and you return to your senses some indefinite amount of time later feeling like you've been trampled by horses, and with no idea what you had done in the time lost?"

"No - that is Atlantean!" Teja says.

"I'll never drink Atlantean again," he says quietly, the smile fading again. "It wasn't the hangover, it was more the... painful awareness of mortality. I don't like that feeling. A man should feel invincible."

A pause, and then the grin returns. "But let's have some whiskey, then."

"Indeed, that is what I was suggesting," Teja says, with almost a little smile.

Discussing strong spirits from the future with Mark Antony, of all people!

He finishes the wine left in his goblet. "And something to eat, also," he says. "Whatever you like. Just no oysters."

"Bread, and moretum?" Teja says. "Something sensible and square, to right your mind."

"That sounds wonderful," he says, "though I'm not sure how much it would do for righting my mind. It's a holiday, after all."

"The Saturnalia," Teja agrees; then, he wonders at the strange humour of the bar, that would send Antony in from the strangest times, in short confusing order; but will indeed send him in from the same time of year for the midwinter festival.

But then, the powers that govern this place seem to take pleasure in festivals celebrated every year, as well as those where all must have their shape changed.

"Io, Saturnalia!" he says with a smile. "I may not be one for all the religious ceremonies, but I do like an excuse to celebrate."

Rats bring bread, moretum, and scotch; one of the rats, mottled and funny, winks at Teja.

"Hails!" Teja replies, intentionally in Gothic, so it will not be rendered by the magic of this place; then, he lifts his glass, and takes a sip.

It is a very superior sort of drink, he always finds.

Antony sets his goblet down and takes his glass, raising it in salute before taking a sip.

"Now that," he says, "is a proper drink. Better than wine with honey. It's disappointing going back home, after the drinks here."

"Indeed," Teja says. "I know not if there is a festival, in any world, at any time, where that is drunk: - but it would be worth it!"