Drinks and explanations

[Aurora]

An absent nod as she sipped the drink, “Exactly. I’m just curious as to if it has happened before, and if it was under similar circumstances. There has to be others, I can’t be the only one.” She didn’t want to be the only one. "Cause it feels lonely." A shrug, raising her glass, “If we don’t roll with the punches, life would get boring and very difficult. And I am not about that. I’d rather have excitement and fun!” boring would not do.

She couldn’t help it, she laughed, “That’s Fate for you. Always sticking her nose into things and fucking them up. A fickle bitch if you ask me.” But she chuckles, “What is that saying about the best laid plans?” a smirk. “Personally, I like leaving things up to the universe to decide. And I’m curious how it’s going to lead me right now. There are two different paths, and while I want to go one way, I’m still stuck at the crossroads.” She knew what she wanted, but it wasn’t up to her.

“Councilor?” she could see it, “I think you’d be a good councilor. You listen well and seem able to see multiple sides of things. You got this.” A nod. “I personally found it exhausting and didn’t have it in me to keep defending my beliefs. But that’s not to say I won’t speak up if I don’t like how something is going.” Cause she would. “Just be careful and don’t burn yourself out.”

[Crystal]

A thoughtful nod when Aurora gave her reasons for looking into what had happened to her. It occurred to him that she was pretty vulnerable just now. Sure, the alcohol probably helped but.. damn, he was getting pretty close with some of the Mages in Sacramento. "Well, at least you've got someone to talk to about this now. I know, that's not the same thing but maybe it'll make you feel a little less lonely." And he raised his cup to that. Ugh, the cocktails were making him mushy-er too. "And yeah, why fight the current? Look at us, like two siblings separated at birth." He smiled brightly, but he also wondered: how would their lives have gone if they had someone to talk to in their oh-so-unloving childhood?
Nope. He wouldn't get melancholic now. He drowned that motion in some Ice Tea.

"I take it the paths are staying or leaving?" They seemed to circle back to this topic, so it maybe weighed on her mind still. "Real talk: what decision does the universe have to make for you?" Because maybe he had to talk her into taking charge this once. Or get her to stay some other way.

Crystal leaned back and sighed heavily at Aurora's pep talk. "Yeah I guess. It'd certainly give me some semblance of direction. But I can see where you're coming from - watch me drop the position as soon as Puck opens his stupid mouth." Oops, shouldn't have been that blunt. Oh well. The Warlock shrugged. "Oh well, I'll just have to schedule a somewhat regular daydrinking-appointment with my resident ex-Enchantress." He would get drunk anywhere to stop himself from burning out, might as well do it in company.

[Aurora]

There was a thoughtful nod as she thought about what he said, “That’s true. Though don’t expect me to talk about it all that often. I don’t like dwelling on it, and in some way, I’m not that person anymore and have been trying to move past it.” Trying, not succeeding very well. “But who knows? Maybe talking about will help.” A shrug. She wasn’t betting on that. Cause…words. A snort as she laughed, “Sometimes the current knows best.” Thought it sounded weird when you had a buzz going.

A deep intake of air, then a shake of her head, “No, not really.” Her brain was foggy, alcohol foggy. “Uh,” where to go with this, “the direction of a possible solid reason to stay.” A frown, “Remember when we said we didn’t want to talk about relationships? Well, this could be one, maybe,” a sigh again, “I don’t know. It’s not in my hands. I know what I want, but that isn’t always how things go. So, yah.” A shrug.

Now it was her turn to spit her drink back into her cup. Then she laughs, coughing, but laughing. “Now, we can’t have too many doing that, it would be really bad.” Cause all she could think of was really bad. Good sentences were not really her thing right now. Then she beams, well, as much as a buzzed girl could, “Yes! My door is always open. Or we could go hit a club and get wasted, but at least get some energy out and all that good stuff.” Cause again…words.

[Crystal]

She shrugged, he shrugged. They probably had to get loaded up on alcohol before any meaningful talking would happen. Neither of them seemed to have a problem with that.. maybe they needed to find a healthier way of dealing with their shit? "Eh, yeah. Maybe, maybe not. We could also just stick to having fun until we're not bothered anymore by stupid baggage."
Before he knew it he joined her laughing. The Cocktails almost gave him emotional whiplash, but at least Aurora kept up with him.

"Huh." Maybe a reveal that big deserved a greater reaction, but honest surprise didn't leave him with much energy for theatrics. "Uh, so just that we're clear: I actually have nobody I'm seeing right now." That was a weird attempt at lightening the mood. "Congratulations?" But again she claimed that it wasn't in her hands - strange how she could appear so confident and assured when she didn't want to take responsibility for those things. "Does he know what you want?"

Well now at least he knew whom to call when the actual resident Acanthus rubbed him the wrong way. He smiled at Aurora, a softer and warmer smile than you could usually see on the Warlock's face. "Yeah, I'd like that."

[Aurora]

A chuckle, “Well, I’m happy just having fun.” The baggage wasn’t going anywhere. At least, she didn’t think it was.

“Technically, I don’t think I have anybody I’m seeing right now. It was a one night thing, so I don’t know where it’s going. If it’s going anywhere.” A sigh and shake of her head, “To be honest, this was my first-time catching feelings. So, yah, I don’t know.” Shrugging again, “Ehhh, kinda? I hinted at wanting to see him again.” Sipping the drink, “But I also don’t want to put myself out there to get hurt if he doesn’t want to explore a relationship.” A deep sigh, “This is new territory for me, do I take the chance of getting hurt, or just leave it as it is.” She wasn’t sure. She knew she wanted to see if a relationship would work, give it a go. But the chance of rejection and pain was hard to ignore.

The warm smile was returned, “Sounds like a plan to me!” raising her cup, “I haven’t gone out dancing and just letting go in a while!”

[Crystal]

He really felt her sigh. But being in the fortunate position of not giving a damn about gender expectations, he could share some of his wisdom. "Well consider this: what if he thinks the same way. 'We agreed it was a one time thing, I don't want to annoy her or overstep my boundaries. She would call me again if she wanted to see me again.' Yeah, you "hinted" you wanted to see him again," Crystal actually put his cup between his thighs to have both hands available for the huge sarcastic air-quotes he needed right now. "But as an objective observer of women's advances - and I'm not being sexist here - 90% of the things women consider clear signals fly over men's heads."

Shit, he was full-out drunken rambling now. "Men are oblivious!" He took up the cup again and drank. "What's the worst that could happen? You get hurt, embarrass yourself? Good thing you were already just about to leave so boom! here's your decision being made for you." He thought he had caught feelings and he survived. Or maybe he became more bitter about those things. Or whatever. "Hit him up. There's nothing wrong or unwomanly about showing interest." He obviously stopped himself from going on and on about it. She might have heard the message.

[Aurora]

There was actually a thoughtful look on her face as he spoke, then a chuckle, “So you are saying I should call him?” watching him over her cup. Then a nod, “Ok, I can see that.” Some signals were just bad, “Guys are not mind readers, I get it.” A wink. “But, I mean, are you sure?” a smirk twisting her lips, “Because I know some Awakened are in fact, mind readers.” True story, prove her wrong. Was that a hint about the guy? Was he one of them? Were the drinks affecting her that much?

“But to be fair, I know some women who completely miss signals. So I don’t think it’s reserved for only guys.” To be fair.

Laughing, a laugh that sounded drunk at this point, “Hey, I’m oblivious too! I’ve missed signals, only to act on a whim and have a guy be like, you didn’t get my signals?” a shake of her head, “Like, seriously, why can’t we all just be forward.” She knew why she wasn’t. Then a frown, “I don’t like letting someone get that close to hurt me. I’ve been there, and it was bitch to get over, and I promised myself it would never happen again.” A little slur here and there.

A pout, she knew, in the sober part of her mind, that he was right. “I think you like being right.” She gently teases with a smirk. “Urgh.” She groans, letting her head roll back, “I should call him.” But what if he didn’t answer or didn’t want to see her again in that way? How would she feel? Could she handle the rejection? “Orrrr,” she begins, “I could just wait it out.” A totally valid strategy.

“But lets focus on more exciting things!” she declares, “Like drinks and going out dancing!” getting excited, “Like, where will our first stop be! Are we dressing to break hearts...”

[Crystal]

All right, that this point she was just playing. Or she wasn't really interested. Damn, Crystal wasn't really ever in this kind of situation, the kind where he cared about the outcome of such a call. Like, it wouldn't be difficult for Aurora to find someone else to distract her with, right? "Yes, you should." The way she said it made him suspect she might even do it right now. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
Then she hinted at mind-reading and Crystal scoffed, then turned it into a chuckle - real smooth. He hasn't anybody talk about Mind since he got here, so that almost only left him and he was pretty sure he'd remember a hook up with Aurora. He was almost tempted to telepathically tell her just that, when some bile took the expressway from his stomach to the mouth.

He had to take it easy - loose evenings like that made him fuck up in the first place. He winced, swallowed the acid down and chased it with a sip of cocktail. Fuck this. "Sorry." Then he made his trademark smile reappear again. "I'm not saying women are perfect like that, but you gotta agree that they tend to have the guys make the first move. And we end up with a stand-off like that." Possible stand-off. Shit, maybe he was talking her right into heartbreak.

"A-ha!" She said it herself: 'why can't we all just be forward.' And once heard Crystal pointed up triumphantly. "So be the change you want to see in the world. Have some fun, fuck a mind-reader." A scoff, not disguised this time. "Or date him. You know, whatever."

He rolled his eyes at her (bad idea with this much alcohol going through him). "I don't like to be right, it just happens that I am right most of the time." He gave her a shit eating grin and then actually put the cup down on the table. Maybe the last bit of cocktail could be a nightcap before leaving. "So you should call him and don't try to distract me with other frivelous- frivolus- bullshit topics." That's right, this Mastigos was putting his foot down. "In fact I won't even give you the opportunity to sober up and talk yourself out of it again. Do it now!"

[Aurora]

What she should do…and what she would do were two very different things.

Then a nod, a drunk one, but a nod, “Oh, I totally agree. Plus, I’ve heard guys like it when they make the first move.” A shrug.

Her mouth opens, then closes, damn he had a point. “There are a ton of things I can do. Eat fire, swallow swords. But when it comes to that…” a shake of her head, “no. I talk a good game, but I’m horrible as fuck with those types of things. Cause then it can lead to emotions and all that.” A disgusted look on her face as she shakes her head.

Eye brows raise in surprise as he encourages her to call. Now. Like, right now, and she almost chokes on her drink. There was a cough, which also gave her time to try and get her drunk thoughts together. “You want me to call him now?” shocked, “I..” she began, clearly flustered, “No!” she protests as her cheeks flush, but with a grin and a laugh. “First, that will let you in on who it is.” She lists with a slur, “And I shouldn’t drunk dial someone, they could be at work or something.” Yeah! That made sense. Then a sweet smile, well, as sweet as someone drunk could muster, “What if I promise to call him tomorrow?” seemed fair. “Plus, it’s very simple for me to sober up right now if I wanted to.” cause, Life mage. Being drunk was something you allowed to happen.

[Crystal]

It was his turn to shrug. "Hey, I think we've properly established that I'm anything but an expert when it comes to emotions. But, you know." He wanted to take another sip and found his cup empty. Whoops. Fuck. "What are the alternatives? Miss that chance, wait for the feelings to go away on either side?" He was definitely moving into 'tough love' territory, but maybe that was what she needed right now. "And then you'll just stay here agonizing over that choice? Or are you just going to skip town and leave him heartbroken?" He made an exaggerated face of evaluation, just to show her that it was pretty clear what he thought of that.

"Fine, yeah good points I give you that. So," he stood up, his balance clearly a bit unsteady. "I'll make you a compromise: you tell me where your bathroom is, then I'll leave you some time to text him while I indulge in some good old fashioned mortal purging. How's that sound?" First rule when drinking way too much? The more alcohol you get rid of before if ends up in your bloodstream, the easier the morning after. "Just an innocent text: I'd really like to see you again, are you free next week?" He threw his arms up in faux exasperation, wobbled a bit then found his balance again. Ready to follow the Shaman's lead and fulfill his part of said compromise.