milliways_bar | (no subject)

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A scientific experiment of the highest order is in progress. One which includes raspberry fudge, brie and crackers, and several different wines. Autor plans to get tipsy today, and he'll do it in style.

He'll also do it with help. Autor endures light ribbing by Sunshine, who has promised to stay with him and make sure he doesn't do anything foolish while even slightly inebriated--a serious concern of his, especially with a sprained ankle. She's keeping to tea today, just in case.

Autor raises a glass, his cheeks already tingling. He swirls the wine, as he has seen done before. Then he holds it up to his nose and takes a deep breath. "Ah, yes. This clean, buttery wine has a heady bouquet with oak notes, and a spicy aroma of vanilla and currant," he says, and takes a sip. "Sadly, it is broad--it has a full body aroma, but lacks any finesse to its taste."

Rae grins, sipping her tea. "Try harder not to sound like you memorized the book, Autor."

[OOC: Two pups, two muns! All threads will come after Rae and Autor's, when the boy is already tipsy.]

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"Hey, Sunshine. My last name is Matrix, Autor. What experiment?"

"Rae," the boy says, long-suffering, "it's not affecting me at all. It's not. So there."

Then he turns to Enzo. "Matrix," Autor repeats, committing that to faulty memory. "The experiment to see what being tipsy is like, of course. Have you ever had wine? Oh, you'd have to digitize it, but would it mess with you in the same way as it's not messing with me?"

Rae scoots out a chair at their table, inviting Enzo to join them. "He even took some notes, to make it scientific, but... well, you can see how well that turned out."

"Yeah, we have drinks like alcohol, but I only ever had a sip." He takes a seat and looks at the notes. "Oh, code. This is the worst idea and I need to be part of it. If only for damage control."

"It is totally not the worst idea," Autor protests. "It is totally the best idea except when I think it's the worst idea--then it's the worst. And yes, please, do join us. Can Minus get drunk?"

Autor snags a cracker and starts munching. "Rae, d'you like my notes? Aren't I the best little note-taker? Yeah, I am."

Rae giggles, despite herself. "Yes, please join us, Enzo. This needs more witnesses, so I can convince Autor that it happened, later."

"I love your notes, Autor," she assures him, grinning. "You take the best notes. I'm sure everyone wants to borrow your notes from classes, so they can copy them."

"I am not giving Minus booze!"

Minus, who the mun decides on the spur of the moment is present, pings curiously.

"Minus!" Autor exclaims cheerfully, and holds his hands out for the nautilus. "Gosh, you have the cutest things. What an adorable little--ahh, I just love it."

If Minus lets him, he'll snuggle with the shell.

"Rae, isn't this the cutest thing?"

"The cutest," Rae agrees, chuckling at the sight of Autor snuggling with the nautilus as she flags down a waitrat so she might order another pot of tea.

"Anything to drink or eat, Enzo? Ah, anything for Minus, too?"

Minus will gladly accept snuggles!

"Just some tea for me, too," he tells the rat, "and a saucer. I don't want to fill up before dinner."

And Autor will gladly keep giving them, pulling the shell into his lap to cuddle and cooing softly. He might be indisposed for a few moments.

Then he sits up straight. "Enzo! Enzo, we need to tell Rae all about the band! Oh, my gosh, she's my best friend and I haven't even told her one little bit about it. What a travesty."

Rae orders for them all - with water for Autor, as boring as it might be - then straightens as the waitrat scurries off towards the kitchens.

"Band? What band is this?"

"Oh, yeah, we've got one now. Us and Duster. We're called Temporal Anomalies, no 'the'. We're still kind of working out our sound, and we still need a drummer, but it's going pretty well so far."

"Oh, Shiva wept!" Autor says, slapping a palm onto his forehead. "I was meant to advertise for a drummer and I completely forgot to do so, I'm so sorry! I promise never to make that mistake again. Please forgive me."

Then his mood switches, from plaintive to shy, as he turns to Rae. "I'd really like it if you could come hear us play. We're good at Bach."

Edited 2014-10-28 04:30 (UTC)

"You know I wouldn't miss it," Rae assures Autor.

"There are plenty of musicians who frequent the bar, but I don't know of any drummers, or I would suggest someone."

Enzo nods in agreement with Rae; he can't think of anyone either.

"I forgive you; we're not on a schedule. If you want to make it up to me…" He points at the piano. "Go play something. I want to see if you can right now."

"I accept your challenge and look forward to reveling in your defeat," the cocky boy says. Autor stands immediately, gripping the table when he sways. He hobbles to the piano, cursing his sprained ankle, and seats himself with aplomb, straightening his uniform.

The attempt... Well, it's a good attempt, with plenty of passion. Unfortunately, he's playing the Fantasie Impromptu, one of the more difficult pieces, and his fingers are inexplicably clumsy. Notes bounce all over the place, discordant and painful to listen to. He quits in the middle of the song, reduced to plinking a couple of keys like a one-fingered typist.

"Hey, Rae?" he asks, sounding surprised. "I don't think I can get back to the table."

Rae is grinning in wry sympathy with her drink-impaired friend throughout Autor's attempt. She can't help but be amused by it, even if she knows Autor will likely feel foolish when he recovers.

"C'mon," she says, getting up and coming over to the piano. Sitting beside him on the piano bench, she can get an arm around him and help him to his feet. "I've got you."

Enzo will assist if necessary, but Rae seems to have a handle on things.

"You are not allowed to drink before concerts."

"Gosh, I'm glad I'm not home right now," Autor murmurs. "That'd be terrible." Then he turns to Enzo, leaning on Rae. "Of course I won't drink before concerts. Even though wine is tasty I don't drink. I never drink. Except as a social experiment which is totally working. All of my friends come to say hi! I totally didn't expect that."

"I'm glad you're not home, either," Rae says, faintly wry, as she helps him back to the table and into his seat. She won't let him fall, or re-injure himself. "Much safer to be here. As ironic as that is."

"Yeah. How's your ankle doing?"

Autor kisses Rae's fingers in thanks. "You make me safe."

Then he turns to Enzo. "It's all right!" Autor says, waggling his toes for Enzo's benefit. "It's sore and wobbly and frankly it would have been better if I'd broken it, but I can walk without tripping most of the time and it should heal by December. Thanks for asking."

"I was intending to take care of that, tonight," Rae remarks, wryly. "So you didn't have to wait so long."

"You can, what, speed it up?"