In Good Cheer (( Open ))

[Archer Caughey]

Paying this area a visit for something other than guys’ night made Archer realize it’d been far too long since he’d been to Tir Na Nog.  His favorite Rhy’din haunt, stepping inside the tavern was like stepping into Irish heaven.  Kind of appropriate, considering the name of the place.  The sun hadn’t even set yet when he strode through the door, the gift of a certain cask under one arm and his strings slung over his back.  Getting drunk, plucking, and singing ballads from the old country had been a huge comfort to him during the years when he’d worked hard to stuff down the ancient skeletons in his closet and weather the nightmares that’d be plaguing him ever since he’d come back from the dead.  Now the skeletons were out...sort of...and the nightmares were gone, but the catharsis that came from song would never fade.  Pretty much because it was what he’d been created for in the first place, way back when.  

Waaaaaay back when.

Anyway, the cask he’d deposited on the bar had been met with a flood of laughter, initially.  This was a place where fine whisky was king, and rich brewed beer was queen.  So mead?  What lightweight nonsense was that?  Except the poor unsuspecting sods didn’t realize where the cask was from, and boy were they unprepared for the result.  Two songs into Archer’s set, that’s all it took for the entire bloody bar to be singing along with heavy slurs on their lips.  For Archer, on the other hand, it took triple that, but such was the way of his world these days.  A world he was still trying to get used to, and filled with people who really wanted him to be used to it already.

But he wasn’t, not completely, which is one of the major reasons he was here.  And yet...for his last song of the night he was singing a coveted song from the old country that made him think of nothing except a particular night in the Great Hall which changed this life forever.  “Come over the hills, my bonnie Irish lass...Come over the hills to your darling...You choose the road, love, and I'll make the vow And I'll be your true love forever.”  If the patrons of the bar weren’t so knackered, it would be with this song in particular that they would realize there was something more to Archer’s voice these days than had been there before.  A sort of...power in it.  A power that shouldn’t be there when the man who was plucking had insisted all his life that he was magically defunct.  But every merry soul in the place was too caught up and hanging on every syllable the balladeer crooned, sailing away on vibes that made them feel like a million bucks and brought the histories behind the music right to the forefront of their minds….which really was how it was supposed to be.  The rest...well it didn’t really matter, did it?

“Red is the rose that in yonder garden grows...Fair is the lily of the valley...Clear is the water that flows from the Boyne...But my love is fairer than any.”  Note hung through the final strum, after voice and strings ceased he stood.  There were protests, to be sure, calls for encores, but he’d sung his last for the night and he stuck to his guns and took to the streets.

Except he didn’t want to go back to his lab.  No fun drinking just to sit with his beakers and bunsen burner alone.  And he didn’t want to go back to...he wasn’t ready to go back to other places, not yet.  So he ended up at the Tel’Ranaemyn, the other place in the area he figured he could go where (nearly) everybody would know his name.  And, you know, they’d hopefully be glad he came.  Archer was, by the way, wearing his usual blue suit.  Well half wearing it, it was cold as hell out yet he walked here with his jacket thrown over shoulder and his sleeves rolled up.  But he hadn’t loosened his tie, so points for that, alright?  Heading back to the bar area, he still had his guitar slung over his shoulder and was humming a tune on his lips.  Melodic man, that Archer.

And still very, very drunk.

[Catrina "Cat" Masterson]

Cat found herself wishing she had brought her little purple companion with her on this trip to visit her sister. But, alas, Pen was at home.  It wasn't that she feared for her safety, not at all, but it was a long walk home with no one to speak to.  At least on the way there were people out and about doing their various things for the day.  Even if she had rode her horse she would have been better off, but she didn't think she was going to stay this late.  "Damned addictive card game."  She chuckled to herself.

Black leather western boots with pointed toes sounded upon the ground as she continued to walk.  Her tight black denim pants moved with her like they were painted on.  And they sat low on her hips to help show of her latest adornment.  She had gotten her belly button pierced.  The ring was stainless steel and shaped like a 'u'.  The top ball had a pale blue stone in it, the bottom one had a tiny Dragon hanging from it.  But right now her arms were crossed over her stomach.  She hadn't thought to bring a jacket and her top was little more than chest covering.  The pale blue fabric tied between her breasts and had long sleeves that flaired progressively wider as they traveled the length of her arms. She was attempting to use said sleeves to keep herself warm.

She paused as she came upon a cross road.  "The Tel.  I wonder if anyone is awake."   She turned and began walking toward the Inn.  It didn't take her long to reach her destination.  Even though she had chose to partake of spirits while visiting her sister, the warming effects were definitely wearing off.  Which made her all the more thankful for the Tel being there.  She was really getting cold.

Navigating the steps was easy enough, but remembering her way around proved a little more difficult.  She paused inside the doors for a moment as she surveyed the area.  This place was so quiet, almost dead.  But then she remembered where the bar was.  A turn of her feet and she headed into the bar.  And upon entering the bar she saw a man. Dark colored hair, though it didn't look to be as dark as her own black locks that were currently pulled back in a pony tail that reached the bottom of her bottom, and was that a beard that she could barely see from the angle she was at?  She pondered turning around to go, but thought better of it.  Perhaps she won't be a bother if she sits away from him.  Better to ask.  So from just inside the door to the bar, while warming up enough for the shivering to calm, she addressed the man in the room.  "I'm sorry, I didn't think anyone would be in here.   I can leave if you'd rather be alone?"

[Archer Caughey]

That reluctantly bearded man was finishing up an interaction with one weary-looking barmaid, probably the same poor woman that had tended to Fallon’s drinks the other night.  “Aye, lass, the whole bottle.  No, keep the change.  No, ye really don’t have to worry.  It’ll barely inspire a buzz, believe me.”  Those last slurred and accented words were grumbled as he slipped his wallet back into his back pocket.  With any luck, the scotch would be enough to at least keep the sheets he’d set to the wind at the Tir Na Nog blowing, but something told him he shouldn’t bet on those odds coming out in his favor.  Damned hefty constitution wouldn't let up, even like this.

He’d already tipped the bottle over his glass when his blue eyes looked up to the female standing in the doorway.  The grandness of his fool’s grin betraying that he’d already had a few tonight, if the manner of his speech hadn’t clued her in already.  Archer had trained his thick brogue out of his voice years ago, but was no stopping it when he was knackered.  “Leavin' a man to sit alone in a bar with his bottle is spittin’ distance away from a crime where I come from, bonnie.”  Finishing his liberal pour, he held up the bottle label side out.  “Care for one?  It’ll warm ye up...put a nice burn in your stomach at least.”

Setting the bottle down with one hand, he shrugged his jacket off his shoulder and caught it smoothly by the collar with his other hand.  Pretty slick reflexes for a drunk man, the credit for that went to his sleight-of-hand hobby.  He held it out to her, using his index finger like a hanger.  “You’re welcome to my jacket t' warm the rest, if y’ want it. Y’know, since I heard a rumor that it’s winter out there.”  A fresh grin.  Archer’s jacket was a standard single breasted coat, obviously the match for the vest and pants he wore.  When he was around these parts Archer could either be found in his lab slumming around in sweatpants and a t-shirt or wearing three piece suits...there was no in between.  Boy had he missed wearing his suits.  Where he lived these days, how he lived these days, they just didn’t fit.

Maybe that a metaphor.  Maybe wondering if it was a metaphor was Archer still overthinking his current situation.  Maybe both.  Either way, that’s what drinking was for, and he sure did before he added one more question into the mix.  “What finds you walkin’ into a bar that ye assumed would be empty?” Call it scientific curiosity.

[AngelRayne]

After the events of the day Angel completely lost her shit and just about ALL of  her past friends came a running, she slept. What else was the poor thing supposed to do? She had felt every possible emotion that day. That takes its toll on people! Even vampires alright? But all sleep wasn't good for her so Silver kept insisting that she wake up after forty-eight hours at least. Now Silver had gotten very good at being persistent, so this wolf would jump up on her bad and start pushing Angel off the bed with his head. Eventually Angel would wind up on the floor in a mess of dark purple sheets, after some moans, a couple groans and a few attempted swats at the poor wolf that is.

Light blues glared at the wolf from the floor "Silver! The bloody hell is wrong with you? I haven't been asleep that long!"

"Angel, you've been out for two days." With Angel out of the bed, Silver would lay down on it stretching out across it so she couldn't get back in. Wolf eyes looking down at her from his spot on the bed. " You need to eat and let people know you are OK."

Arms folded across her chest and a small huff was given. " Can't it wait? I really just want to sleep for a bit longer. Let the emotions and reunions die down a bit before I appear again."

Silver offered a wolf snort to her last words. " Oh don't pull that with me. Get up and get your butt out of here Angel. Besides I can hear your stomach from here. Do you want everyone to feel how hungry you are and come running again?"

Cue the growl of her stomach just before Silver spoke about being able to hear it. " Bloody hell .. " Angel gave a sigh and then a shake of her head. " I suppose I should get food now that I'm awake. At least some blood wine to tide me over till a hunt." Arms unfolded from across her chest and where used to push herself up off the floor, after bare feet kicked themselves out of the tangle of sheets. To the bathroom she would head for a quick change. From black silk PJs to her hip hugger jeans with her light purple spaghetti strap shirt. Dark purple mesh over shirt was put on on top of the light one and her hair was given a quick run threw with a brush. Who knows who was down stairs, she wasn't about to go around looking like she just woke up, this wasn't her own room or house! "Silver, stay ...." Words where cut short when light blues fell on the wolf. He was already out cold. He had stayed up the whole time she was sleeping, just watching her. Soft chuckle was given as she headed out of her bedroom and to the door, where bare feet where slipped into her favorite, and only!, pair of boots. After that out the door she would go!

Her destination was the bar and after a bit of walking, down the steps, around this corner and that booted feet stopped her just shy of the door.  She picked up the sound of voices before she had even made it to the door. Yay for vampire hearing! Archer ... and he was, her head tilted to the left just a bit, drunk? If memory served her right and it has been doing a wonderful job of slamming her with memories lately .. he only had that accent when he was plastered off his rocker, or pissed as hell. He didn't sound pissed so ... yeah Archer was drunk. Oh boy! Angel couldn't place the second voice ... but there where a whole slew of people coming out of the wood works so that wasn't anything new. Anyway! Booted feet would take her inside the bar, little wave to both as she headed for the kitchen area. Yeah she was gonna get it herself alright? To the fridge, bottle of blood wine grabbed and with whispered words it was covered in dark purple flame for only a few seconds. Cold blood wine ... yuck! Fridge was closed and back out to the front of the bar she would go. Cork was popped and a large drink was taken before booted feet found her a bar stool to sit in for the time being.

[Catrina "Cat" Masterson]

A smile tugged at the corners of Cat's lips. It was a beard.  And a damned sexy one at that.   Plus, bonus, it adorned the face of a very sexy Irish gentleman.  "Oh no.  I wouldn't dream of committing such a crime."  A grin given as she began to walk farther into the room.

She hadn't realized she was still shivering until he offered his jacket, but now that it had been offered, she knew she was cold.   So as she stepped up to be beside him at the bar, she signaled the bar maid for another glass and nodded at the silent question of ice.  "I was going to start with a hot tea and some peach brandy, but this works too."  A smile, that made her chocolate colored eyes sparkle, was offered to the man holding the jacket.

She slipped into the offered jacket and then slid up onto a bar stool.  Unless he poured her drink first, she would pour herself a drink. The jacket was so warm, having just come from contact with his body.  "Thank you.  I'm feeling warmer already.  Glass was brought to her lips and a sip taken.  A slow blink and grin were to follow.  The scotch warmed all the way down.

Realizing she was bordering on inappropriate with her enjoyment of that one sip, she half chuckled and wiped her lips with the side of her thumb as her eyes shot open.  "Sorry about that.  Hmm?  Oh, I was heading home from visiting my little sister and ... One of her men.  Sorry, the name escapes me at the moment.  His name, not mine.  I'm Catrina, Cat to my family and friends."  She offered her right hand to the man.

Glass raised with her left hand again as another sip was taken.  She was already glad she had stopped in.  She looked up when she heard the blonde woman enter the room.  She offered her a smile as she passed them to take herself into the kitchen.   Another smile was offered when the woman came back from the kitchen to settle herself into a bar stool.

[Archer Caughey]

A beard that was a bet.  When he was a man who was never supposed to lose, not bets at least.  He’d be wishing hard for spring if he wasn't aware of how long the wait for winter was for her every year.  So he was weathering the beard in the same way that he weathered the winter.  Least it kept his face warm?

Her answer drew a laugh out of him.  Wasn’t laughter such a mood lifter?  They say it’s the best medicine for a reason, and drunk as he was Archer wasn’t watching how his rediscovered special talent at being the jovial life of the party could be catching.  “We’re a long way from that home of mine, so your record would’ve stayed clean if ye ran.  Hot tea and brandy, though?  That sounds like the end o’ the night rather than the beginnin’.  The sort of stuff that tucks you in.”  When the barkeep provided a second glass Archer was the one to lift the bottle, and gentleman that he was he didn’t pour as liberally.  Just a double over over that ice, before he topped off his own glass.

“Please, bonnie, no apologizin’ for enjoyin’ a drink.  The apologizin’ should be saved for the bad decisions that come after the drinkin’ is done.”  Said with a grin and a wink to boot as he kicked back his own glass.  Speaking of situations that might end in apologizing, the genius was distracted by a certain blonde practically sneaking her way into the kitchen.  Fingers waggling to return Angel's gesture as the gears were turning in that big brain of his.  He passed the first decision-making test, though, he let her be and didn’t follow her into the kitchen, so one shining gold star for him.  

Instead he refocused his attention on Catrina.  “Little sister, is that right?  I arguably have one of those.”  But while Arcadia looked younger, in truth she was older - by a couple generations in fact if one went digging into the Caughey family history.  Brother and sister is what they’d come to call each other, but those titles were not tossed around as often as they used to be.  Setting his glass down, he leaned over the counter to give her offered hand a shake.  “Catrina, aye?  Too nice a name to escape the memory.  I’m Archer.”  He sure was, he wasn’t the type to let things go gracefully, and that included his preferred name.  It was when he introduced himself though that he remembered the strings strapped over his back, and he carefully removed them and leaned the instrument against the bar.

Just in time for Angel to return, which reminded him of the gears he’d had turning a moment ago.  “Top o’ the evenin’ to you, Angel.  Have ye met Catrina?”  A gesture to the other woman at the bar, paired with a lighthearted conversational tone, but his blue eyes held a seriousness to them as he gave her a look over.  A visual check in from when he’d seen Angel last.  His earlier assumption for her visit to the kitchen was confirmed by the bottle in her hand.  Now, as his past with both Angel and Arcadia had illustrated, his feelings about vampires were complicated at best, and pretty much self-righteous at their worst, but that didn’t stop him from offering what he offered next.  “You know m’ here, if you want somethin’ fresher than that.”   How was that for a big ole drunk decision?

[AngelRayne]

Angel had sat of course on the stool so that she was facing the two. She wasn't going to be rude, that wasn't her style. Booted feet crossed at her ankles, thin form leaning against the bar top. Another draw from the bottle was given before hand that wasn't holding the bottle reached into that little pocket of space that was always around her. It was never in the way, it was never really there until Angel called on it. Anyway, hand would seem to disappear for only a moment as it reached into the pocket to retrieve her glass. Once the wine glass was retrieved from the pocket, the pocket was dismissed. The wine glass wasn't anything to spectacular, it had been a gift from Serena before she disappeared with Zander. It was dark purple in color, Angel was written across it in silver on one side and the symbol of the Brujah along with a rose was on the other side, again in silver. Glass was then filled with some blood wine, and bottle was placed on the bar top.

All the while she listened, that's one of the things Angel did best. She listened, like really listened to people. She could pick up on things that most wouldn't. That wasn't the case now of course, besides Archer being drunk. A true Angel smile was offered to Archer first. " Evening Archer .." Then those light blues would look to the other woman, that Angel smile still continuing. " and hello Catrina. It's nice to meet you." She could feel Archer's eyes on her, those light blues looking back to him again. She knew what he was doing, little wave of her glass as a see at least I'm getting something to eat gesture before a sip was taken. Light blues blinked a few times, head tilted to the right just a bit causing strands of that blonde and dark purple , just the tips , hair to fall into her eyes. Glass free hand reached to push them out of the way, while one brow raised at him. " Archer love, judging by your speech and the smell of a brewery coming from ya I would feel horrid if I did so right now. And we wouldn't want to scare off Catrina now would we?" Heaven forbid he didn't remember. Or he thought she took advantage of him or something equally silly. This was always the problem when it came to Angel and her feeding, she thought to much. Besides, it has been a long while since she fed on someone she cared about. Angel wasn't sure how she would handle it, she still wasn't one hundred percent from the events a few days ago. She hoped that those light blues of hers would tell that to Archer, or if he'd even catch it in his drunken state. " But if the offer still stands when you are sober and in your right mind, then I'll take you up on it. And thank you." So much behind that thank you. Drunk or not, he should at least know that that thank you wasn't just for the offer to feed.

Light blues looked back to the lady now. Studying her now, not sure how Catrina was with vampires. Ready to defend herself with words is need be. Angel wouldn't hurt a fly unless ticked off, Archer could speak on that one! A long drink was taken from the glass this time around, at least the blood wine was helping for the time being. It always helped, it was never enough in the end and Angel knew that. But for now, it was helping.

[Catrina "Cat" Masterson]

Catrina had to chuckle about the tea. "Well, you know, when I decided to stop in for a drink, I figured anyone here would be asleep.  So my thought was hot tea with brandy then head the rest of the way home.  I'd be well ready for bed by the time I got there."  But the best laid plans. "But actually, this works a lot better."  She raised her glass in a gesture of salute to him and his idea of having some scotch.

More laughter spilled from her lips when he mentioned bad decisions.  This guy was going to be fun to hang out with.  "Who said the decisions would be bad?"  And with a wink she polished off the contents of her glass before the ice had even started to melt.

A good handshake was given.  She liked a man who didn't think that she would break on contact simply because she was female.  "Pleasure to meet you Archer.  Hopefully your little sister doesn't live as confusing a life as mine."  A chuckle given about that.

With the reappearance of the blonde, Cat had a smile upon her face.  Introductions were made. The name rang a bell due to Cat's associations with others.   "Pleasure to meet you Angel."  A reach and lean produced the offer of a handshake.  But there was no mention made of Cat having heard of the woman before.

She listened to the exchange between the two as she reached to refill her glass, unless Archer had beaten her to it, and then take a sip.  She had picked up on the slightly coppery smell in the air when the woman had come back from the kitchen, but seeing the bottle poured into the wine glass confirmed it.  So the conversation between the two, apparently old friends, was completely understood.

She waited a moment as they spoke.  When Angel declined Archer's offer Cat set her glass down.  "I've not had as much to drink tonight as Archer.  No offence, but you look as though you've not had a live snack in days.  I'm perfectly fine with donating a pint or two.  I can just stay here tonight instead of walking the rest of the way home."  A genuine offer.  She knew she would heal, she always had before.  Usually she didn't even get a scar.

[Archer Caughey]

At the mention of the hour, Archer furrowed his brow.  "Is it late?"  Genuine question, because he had no idea.  Time got away from him a few ballads and cups ago; all he knew was that when he came out of the pub it was dark out, same as when he went in.  Well, that plus the fact that not enough time had passed yet for him to sober up, he was still riding that sweet spot.  Which is why he was working to keep his glass full.  Even if it was only scotch.

This time he’d let Catrina fill her own glass, though.  Beyond the first drink he wouldn’t assume the woman’s limits.  “Well, bonnie, if I had a marker handy I could draw ye a simple line graph that illustrates the ratio of poor decision makin’ as it mathematically relates to the amount of alcohol consumed in ounces.  Suffice t’ say that if the number of drinks in ounces is on the x axis here, and the rate of poor decision makin’ is represented vertically on the y axis here....” Yes, Archer was drawing those two lines in the air with his finger, he was absolutely serious about this, “The ratio goes a little somethin’ like this.”  A pretty modest curve to start, let’s say that on the graph it would represent about three beers or shots in, and then the curve Archer traced in the air got a lot steeper a lot quicker before he suddenly dropped his finger in a line straight down through that invisible x asis.  “That drop in the graph obviously represents the moment the drinker drops from havin’ one too many.  A poor decision in itself, but at least he can’t make anymore of them for the night.”  A proud grin punctuated the end of that joke.

But man if Catrina’s comment about confusion didn’t make him wince.  That had plucked a nerve a bit too close to home, and Archer didn’t have much of a poker face.  Which is probably why he was looking down into his glass when he replied, "Complicated runs in the family."  Polishing off all the scotch currently in said glass, that was all he was going to say about that.  Especially because Angel was here, and she had enough to be angry at him about without knowing what he’d kept to himself all this time.  

So Angel wasn't the only one who thought too much.  And even as drunk as he was, whatever happened tonight, rest assured he’d remember.  Angel was forgetting that Archer literally remembered everything.  And if he'd ever been upfront with anyone about how impossibly far his memory went back, a lot of Archer's...infuriating and less desirable behaviors probably would have made a lot more sense.  “Right mind.”  He scoffed that with a dismissive wave.  "I tried to escape m' right mind once and ended up locked in a wizard's basement.  M’ not lookin’ to do it again."  At least Jamison had given Archer a cot to sleep on?  The wizard had been right to do it, since Archer came drunk to his door asking if he had any hocus pocus handy to wipe his memory clean.  Talk about nearly making a bad decision.  And considering that was just last year, maybe Archer was doing a better job adjusting than most up on the rock were giving him credit for.

When Angel waggled her glass of bottled dinner, Archer didn’t look the least bit impressed.  So when Catrina made her offer, his free hand struck the bar with a smack of a Eureka.  “Well there y’ go, Angel!  Catrina here has indeed not had as much t’ drink as I.  Sounds like a perfectly logical solution to me.”  And it was well known how Archer was a stickler when it came to logic.  “She’s right, y’ know, about how you’re lookin’.  Matter of fact I’d wager this is the first time you’ve been out of your room since I saw ye last.”  Bet like a man who’d known her and her habits for a long time, Archer gave her a pointed look.  Followed by a grand, winning smile.  “And you’re welcome.”  Said before she could take that thank you of hers back.

[AngelRayne]

Cat's offered hand was taken into her own, nice yet firm handshake given to the women before hand was released. A soft chuckle was given as she listen to Archer go on about poor decision making, light blues watching him draw the lines in the air. The more she listened, the more she remembered,the more she watched, the more she realized how much she missed ... him. Well not just Archer, but everyone. But he was here now so of course Archer was the focus of her missing. "Well now you've gone and done it, you brought out the inner scientist in him." Said to Cat of course, before another drink of that liquid in her glass was taken. Drink was starting to cool, so hand that was holding the glass became covered in dark purple flame for just a moment, re warming the contents.

Light blues caught his reaction to Cat's comment, boy the things she remembered. From what she remembered he wasn't kidding, but Angel wouldn't touch on that. That would be a conversation for later on, her planned one on one with him if he was actually sticking around. There was a lot that she didn't know from there time apart, and a lot that she could tell was different from there last meeting so many years ago. Speaking of things she didn't know, slender brow raised at him again when he spoke about a wizards basement, quizzical look given to him with those light blues. " Just what in bloody hell did I miss in the years I haven't see you Archer? " Of course she wasn't expecting him to actually answer that question, it was probably one better left answered later?

Of course he probably wouldn't get a chance to answer that question anyway as Cat offered Angel herself to feed on. And boy did he jump right on that one! Light blues glared daggers at Archer for just a moment before a little roll of those eyes was given. Followed quickly by a little sigh. " Yes, this is the first time I've been out of my room since everyone left. Yes, I've been asleep for that whole time. Yes, I had fed the day before this all happened. " One more drink of her blood wine was taking, giving her time to think on the situation.What to do, what to do? Ah ha! Silver of course! " Thanks Catrine for the offer, but I'll be just fine. Silver , my wolf, is actually on his way to the nearest blood bank and bringing me back some fresh overstock. I had just run out the other day and Silver's been at my side since everyone left. He didn't want to leave me alone until I was awake. We have a deal worked out with them so it's not big deal " A little nod of her head, a grin offered to Archer. A see I'm not as stubborn as I once was kinda grin. They didn't have to know that Silver was actually asleep upstairs in her bed right now. That would be part of the story she would leave out.

[Catrina "Cat" Masterson]

Archer had Cat's undivided attention as she followed his finger through the air.  She could see the graph he was drawing in her mind.  She used her own finger to trace over some of his invisible lines.  "But what if all of these decisions are actually good decisions? And then the only bad decision is this one too many over here and that's only a bad decision because this drop signifies the end of the fun to be had for the night?"  A wicked grin curled at the right side of her lips as she watched to see his reaction.

When Angel's comment was heard Cat looked towards her.   Chocolate colored orbs gleaned with playful wickedness.  "Oh that's fine.  I like science.  I think a high I.Q. is sexy.  See?"  She reached to the back right pocket of her jeans and produced a small, slightly tattered, spiral bound notebook.  She laid it on the bar top for anyone to pick up.  If anyone cared to look they would find charts and graphs and lists galore.  There were feeding schedules and mating schedules, charts signifying the number of eggs produced each season and the number of them that produced a hatching.  There were color mixtures for producing which colors of hatchings.  It went on and on.  There was certainly a science to being a Pendragon Breeder.  

Cat wisely chose to not press when Archer seemed momentarily saddened by the complicated comment.  And she stayed out of it when he spoke of being locked in a wizard's basement as well.  Angel commented, but that was between them. She just took a swig from her glass and let them have their moment.

The conversation had been going along at a rather low tone.  After all, it was the middle of the night.  So Archer's hand slamming down on the bar top startled her.  She even jumped a little.  Thank the God's she didn't squeak.  That would have taken this whole night down a totally different path.  

She took a swig from her glass as she listened to Angel explain why she wasn't partaking of a live snack.  Then she started shaking her head no as she swallowed the mouthful of liquid.  "No, no, no.  That is not a live snack.  You know that they give you the stuff that's soon to go bad or that failed a test.  No, that would be the equivalent of me microwaving a T.V. dinner every night.  It would be food to sustain life, but it would lack the proper nourishment to keep me healthy.  Eventually I would become ill."

She poured herself another glass and wiggled the bottle at the bar keep.  She wanted a new bottle produced before that one was completely empty.  She stood up long enough to pull some coins from her pocket to pay for the bottle and a tip.  "I'll make you a deal though."  Offered as she sat back down on the bar stool.  "I'll quit pestering you about it tonight if you either a, take me up on my offer, or b, promise to go hunting tomorrow night."  She left out the part where she planned on sending a six foot something red head to find her and take her hunting the next night.

[Archer Caughey]

“Inner scientist?”  Echoed with a protesting scoff and a shake of his head.  “Ye mean outer scientist, I’ll thank ye lass.  Bein’ a scientist is somethin’ I could never hide.  That’d be like a plumber keepin’ mum while everyone’s runnin’ from an overflowin’ toilet!  Never know when I’ll be asked to save the day.”  And that horrible simile brought to them by Drunk Archer Logic.  When There’s a Comparison You Didn’t Know You Needed or Wished You Never Had, Drunk Archer Logic is There.  A laugh followed when Catrina called him sexy, and Archer gave Angel a look of such triumph you’d think he and his entire nerdy species had just won the life lottery.  “And there!  See?  It’s like I said the other day.  Science is the new sexy.”

He wouldn’t be Archer if he didn’t have an answer for everything, including imaginary graphs.  “Ah, but by definition on this particular graph the y axis IS bad decisions, Catrina”  Was he drawing an invisible circle around his invisible y axis as if it was an actual illustration that they all could see?  Yes.  He was.  “What you’re asking for is a third axis to be added to this chart that marks good decisions against number of drinks in ounces.  Or comparison graphs of the two.  Or an entirely different theoretical study called somethin’ like, ‘Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time’ which measures the effect of time passed on the view of decisions made.  Now that would make for a fascinatin’ visual, I bet.”  If he were holed up in his lab, that’s exactly the kind of project he’d give giving himself.  Instead, he gestured down at Catrina’s notebook.  “What’s that for?”  Even drunk he was too well-mannered to go rifling through people’s things.

Angel’s question and quizzical look were met with a shrug, and a grin too foolish for its own good.  “Growin’ pains?”  It was a real answer, a painfully truthful answer in more ways than one,  it just also happened to be a purposefully vague answer.  And it’s true,  maybe he would have said - or done - more to clarify that answer, but this conversation wasn’t supposed to be about him.

It was supposed to be about Angel.  Who was doing a whole lot of explaining over there on that perch of hers.  At first, Archer just listened with that familiar smug look of victory on his face, because she’d admitted he was right and...well when you were him being right never got old.  But then Angel kept talking, and the more she talked the higher Archer’s brow lifted.  Speaking of graphs, there’ve been a number of studies done over the years charting the degree of truth a person is speaking and how that relates to the number of words they use, with the number of words used skyrocketing when said subject was lying.  Archer didn’t say that, though.  He let Angel talk, he let Catrina answer, and then blue eyes landed on hers as he asked one simple question.  “If Silver’s out there doin’ all that, how come you’re goin’ to take me up on my offer once I've sobered up?” She'd said she would.

Then, Archer set his glass out of the way, folded his hands, and gave Angel a smile.  Because he knew what he was doing.  How loaded was that question?  Let us count the ways.

[AngelRayne]

"If you say so love." Directed at the science is the new sexy comment of course! Oh my dear lord, Angel listened to the two and she just wanted to find a rope and hang herself. It was like nerd love con over there and she wasn't invited! What was it that she ever saw in Archer? Right now she wasn't so sure she remembered! Hand that wasn't holding her glass reached up to touch the rings hanging on the chain around her neck. Yeah they where both there and yeah she was still aware the one was as cold as ice.  The other one though, hummed with life, obviously he wasn't dead ... yet ... or again depending on how far you really wanted to go back at the moment.

Thank the gods she had removed those pesky faerie wings before she passed out the other night. She had figured out how to reverse the spell years ago but kept them on from time to time because they where cute, annoying and emotion tellers, but cute. They would have totally given away her feelings at the moment! She was looking for the strength to not jump up and slam both their heads together.Strength to not blurt out what she was really thinking at the moment. What? There was only so much science you can take after awhile and Angel had a feeling there was going to be a WHOLE lot of it here soon. It was all good when it was just Archer ... but now it was two of them!

Breathe Angel, just breathe. Last of the blood wine in her glass was drained before hand holding the rings released them to reach for the bottle on the counter. More of that oh so wonderful liquid was poured into her glass before it was placed back on the counter. Hands again would glow a dark purple, quickly warming the liquid inside the glass before disappearing once again. See now Angel had been perfectly content coming down here, grabbing a bottle of blood wine and shootin' the crap with anyone that was here.  Now the whole bloody conversation, aside from Archer's science bit, was focused on her and Angel never liked being the center of attention ... unless it was a boyfriend/fiance of course. But who didn't like that?

"Oh they don't do that. Silver wouldn't let them get away with it. He knows what to look for and can be a very persistent wolf believe it or not. So no worries there!" Drink from her glass was taken, her hunger was retreating for the time being. They weren't lying  she was going to have to feed, but it was going to be on her terms darn it! " I never said that's all I eat, I do hunt. I'll catch stories of bad people and I take care of them so they don't hurt anyone again." Angel grin was given then. " So I can promise you that I will feed before the dawn. " Now dawn where? Who knows, but it was always before dawn somewhere! Ha take that one Cat!

Of course Archer had to chime in. He was really good at pushing buttons when he was drunk wasn't he? Once again that free hand would reach for her neck, fingers playing slowly with the rings hanging there. The stark contrast between the two was still weird feeling to her but that was something she'd get used to in due time. Light blues looked back to Archer, half of her wanted to slap that smile off his face. The other half, well the other half was more mature then the Brujah that was trying to rear it's ugly head. And so far the good side was winning out a little bit more then the Brujah. " Because I ... " Miss you? Want a taste again? No don't say that Angel! A shake of her head was given, once again totally glad she got rid of those wings earlier! " Because like I said to Cat I do still feed. Besides an offer from you is one in a million so why pass it up?" Angel grin was given to him, satisfied with her answer. Check and mate? Maybe?

[Catrina "Cat" Masterson]

Cat grinned at Archer's circle around the invisible graph. Then She held her hand up, palm facing him, like she was holding a chalkboard eraser.  "But in my world, dear Archer, there are no bad decisions."  And she waved her hand like she was erasing his lines.  "Only once in a lifetime or I need to do that again."  Then she chuckled as she set her pretend eraser back on the bar top.

The answer to his question about her notebook came with a very proud look upon her features.  "That is twenty - five years of notes, charts, graphs, and schedules.  It's the science of breeding Pendragons.  Have a look.  I'm sure you're smart enough to understand it all."  She slid the notebook closer to him.

Brows furrowed as she listened to Angel explain her way out of their offers to feed her.  She was drawing the same conclusion as Archer, she was talking way to many circles around the subject for it to be the whole truth.  Had she been dealing with a different, very stubborn, vampire she would have tempted fate and cut her finger to scent the air with blood.  But she didn't know Angel's level of control over her blood lust, so it was best to not chance it.  

Cat slid her mouth to the side as Angel made her promise.  "I'll take your promise as your vow."  After all, Angel was true to her word, wasn't she?  Weren't almost all vampires?  She didn't know very many.  And it's not like she knew Angel enough to think that she was one of those who broke their promises.  

So she looked back at Archer.  Joyful smile back upon her face.   "So sexy science boy, care to regale us with a tune on those strings beside you?"  Another swig from her glass and then she poured herself another.  She figured she might as well have fun hanging out here and then get a room.  She could head home in the morning.  There was no reason to rush.

[Archer Caughey]

“You’re a lucky lass, to be born into such a world.”  Archer said that with a smile, the kind of smile that didn’t quite make it to his eyes.  There was a more serious look to them, coming from a man who’d made some bad decisions now and then and who was in currently sitting in the middle of one that he was still fighting.  When she slid over the notebook, it was permission.  To rifle through it, yes, but also to change the subject.  A hoot at what she’d said.  “Genius I may be, but I’m not about to call myself an expert in breedin’.”  Thumbing through the pages, he bypassed anything note-heavy, gravitating more towards numbers, charts, and graphs.  “Pindragons, is that right?  Is that a specific species?  Seems like an intricate enterprise, from the looks of your pages.”

Gaze lifted from the book to keep an eye on Angel.  She may not have those wings out anymore, but as far as Archer was concerned the movements of her hand were a lot more telling.  Watching her toy with those rings more than once, it stirred up a few pots of memories from very different points in time.  Right now he was just glad that the one ring wasn’t cluing her into anything that he wasn’t ready to fess up to yet.  Yet...or ever.  When you’ve kept a secret the entirety of your life, is it really that big of a deal if you decide keep it forever?

Don’t answer that.  

Point is, Archer was wearing a sh-t eating grin as he watched Angel make her way first through a winding explanation to Catrina and then through an answer to his question.  The grin was because even though she didn’t say it, he knew she probably wanted to deck him at this point.  Her head shake was a solid clue. “Well, one in a million only if ye round up.  The odds fall short of that if ye actually do the math.”  He just couldn’t keep his mouth shut when it came to numbers or calculations. “But either way, since we’re both agreed, it sounds like I need t’ be soberin’ up.”

Which meant Archer needed some assistance.  “Bonnie bar mistress, do ye have a scrap of paper and somethin’ to write with?  Thanks.”  Once received, Archer scribbled down a drink recipe.  A lengthy one, considering it took him a solid minute to jot everything down.  Tossing down the pencil, Archer scanned over what he wrote one last time before offering it to the woman behind the bar.  “One of these, if you’d be so kind.  And a glass of milk.  Charge me whatever ye think is fair.”  The look of the mixture of doubt and horror on the barmaid’s face when she read it over was probably priceless to behold; the same uncertainty colored her voice as she asked Archer if the amount of habanero was right.  He waved her off.  “Not a single mistake on there, I promise.  Ye may want to plug your nose though while you’re making it.”  Shooting him a look that made it clear she thought he was crazy, the barmaid headed back into the kitchen.

And Archer gave Angel a triumphant smile.  “Once I drink what she’s cookin’ up, I’ll be stone cold sober in four and a half minutes.  Maybe even closer to three and a half, since I didn’t put much of anything in my stomach when I was at the pub.”  Denied her checkmate with a check of his own...let’s face it Archer was pretty good at games like chess.  His strings, though, were out of sight out of mind for him until Catrina made that request.  A bit surprised to be asked, and maybe a touch of wary for reasons unknown, he looked between the two women.  “Three and a half minutes is time enough for a song, if Angel doesn’t mind listenin’ to my warbling of course.”  He wasn’t going to assume she would.

[AngelRayne]

Oh if the ground would just open up right now and swallow Angel whole that would be just wonderful! She's never wanted to just disappear and quickly, as much as she wanted to right now. Blast it for not learning teleport magic when she had the chance! Portals, she could do portals but those took way to long to cast and of course Fally's mirror was hanging in her room just to far out of reach. Well Angel old gal, looks like you're stuck. Good job. So much for just a drink and shooting the crap eh?

She nodded her head, light blues looking to Cat after she spoke. " My word is my vow. I never break a promise or my word. " Even if she wasn't a vampire, Angel was always like that. There was no point in lying when it came to promises, that was just a whole other world of ugly that Angel never wanted to deal with.

Light blues rolled quickly when Archer just had to go all Sciencey (err not sure how to spell that!) once again. She will never learn to watch her words with him, will she? Even sober he had a hard time with using a filter before he spoke! "And just how ... " She didn't finish her question because that's when he called the bartender over and asked for paper and pen. Light blues moved back to him, hoping to the gods her 'oh sh*t' look wasn't plastered all over her face. Pen and paper, blast it Archer had something up his sleeve. But what? Sneaky little bugger! She listened as he spoke to the bartender. Light blues getting a quizzical look in them. Then the answer to that unasked question. For just a brief moment that 'oh sh*t' look did cross her face, he had to be quick to see it!

Fingers played with the rings around her neck, if he was watching he'd notice those fingers would hang on his ring a bit longer then the other. For clarity sake his was the one that glowed a bit!  Just cuz magic and stuff. Angel was torn between grinning like a fool and decking him. How sweet , though rather pushy and annoying, was it that he was even doing this? He didn't have to go and get stone cold sober just for her! " You should eat when drinking." Hello kettle! That was the first thing she managed to say, while her brain was processing what the hell just happened. "Archer you don't have to do this..." Three mins ... well hell that wasn't a lot of time. Music! Yes distraction! At least enough to get her blasted emotions under control. Angel grin given, fingers finally stopping their play on the rings around her neck ... for now. " Yes, play us a song Archer. Please?"

[Catrina "Cat" Masterson]

Cat noticed when Archer's smile didn't reach his eyes.  Her frown was short lived though.  The conversion of her pride and joy put that look of pride in it's place.  "Yes, they're a very small breed.  They only get up to about three feet in length from nose to tail tip and usually stay under thirty pounds in weight.  I've managed to breed every possible color, and some that can even learn to speak.  I've even had customers request specific colors.  That's why I keep such detailed records.  I have to know which parents can produce which colors and such."  She could talk about her babies all day.  But, she wasn't going to do that now.  After all, she wouldn't want to bore anyone.

Besides, there were other things going on.  Angel saying that she kept her word brought a smile to her face, but it was quickly replaced by a pout when Archer said he was going to have to sober up.  At first she thought that he meant he was going to switch to coffee or something, but she was wrong.  She watched him jot down the drink recipe on the scrap of paper. She didn't catch much of it, but it was enough to make her wrinkle her nose.  "You're actually going to drink that?"  She tried to see the rest, but he gave it to the bar keep too fast.

She looked to Angel with a look of confusion on her face.  Then back to Archer.  "Well, I guess you'll have to show me what constitutes a bad decision some other time then, since you'll be sober in a few minutes."  She winked at him and smiled.  Though now, it was her turn for the smile to not reach her eyes.

She was very happy that Angel agreed to him playing a song for them though.  It was going to be a good night after all.  She's made new friends, she hoped anyway, and got warm, and was going to get to hear some live music.  Not a bad night considering she just stopped in for some hot tea to warm her on her way home.  And just because Archer was sobering up didn't mean that she had to.  She would just have to finish that second bottle on her own.  So she still wasn't going home tonight.

[Archer Caughey]

(( A rendition of the song Archer sings.  Sung by a quartet with a different instrumental arrangement, but they’re awesome so I couldn’t resist. ))

“They sound like smart creatures.”  Archer knew that animal species learning human language, to speak it in particular, was no short order.  Even around these parts.  Closing Catrina's notebook, he slid it back over to her.  “What’s the connection of coloring to other traits?”  He was making an assumption, maybe, that people sought certain colors out of more than an aesthetic preference.  Like he said, he wasn’t an expert when it came to breeding.

“I am going to drink that,” he replied with a wan grin.  Shooting a cheeky look at Angel as he added, “Even though I know I don’t have to do it.  And it tastes fecking awful, believe me.”  For the most part he was glad his tastebuds were working again, but boy when it came to a drink like this it would have been convenient if they didn’t.  “But, it’s effective.”  As they’d soon find out.  “I’m just goin’ to pretend that you of all people didn’t just chide me about fillin’ me stomach, Angel…”  Which, when Archer could be rather pushy and annoying, was a pretty nice gift from him, all things considered.  Given because he was putting his faith in her that she’d actually go through with the feeding part of this whole equation when the time came. 

And gee, wasn’t Angel more agreeable to a song than he expected.  He made no secret of the leery, somewhat suspicious look he gave her when she echoed Catrina’s desire to hear him play.  “Alright then, a song it is.  Because when it comes to me, bad decisions are a dime a dozen.”  Back in the day when Angel and the rest had first met him, the only instrument he let himself touch was a violin, and it spent most of its time in a glass case.  These days...well these days he was halfway there to a sort of grudging acceptance, so Archer owned several types of strings, including the small-bodied acoustic guitar he picked up now.  The other proper instrument when one was looking to sing songs from the old country, which is exactly what he'd done with his time earlier at Tir Na Nog.

He pushed back his stool to put some space between him and the bar counter, shifting in his seat before setting the guitar in this lap.  A single strum was all he needed to tell him what strings needed a quick tuning, and he didn't even check his work after giving two knobs a twist.  Instead he strummed straight into the song, borrowing a couple cords that would come up in the chorus to improvise an intro.  After a couple measures, his voice joined in, complementing the sounds of the guitar with seamless confidence. “Of all the money that e'er I had, I've spent it in good company...and all the harm that ever I done, alas it was to none but me…”

It was the kind of singing one wouldn’t expect from a man who was ruled by logic and obsessed with precision and calculations.  Yes, there was a familiar precision in how he sang, an uncanny expertise in how he crooned and rendered each sound, each syllable, but there was something more to that, too.  A song from Archer ran deep, struck deep, tapped the shared consciousness in a way that only a well sung song could.  And that was a skill of his that he had showed no one, because it was connected to the history that he’d worked so damn hard to hide and leave behind.  Maybe that was why his eyes were on his instrument as he played, even though they didn’t need to be in order for him to pull just the right sounds he needed from the guitar.  “And all I've done for want of wit, to memory now I can't recall.  So fill to me the parting glass, goodnight and joy be to you all...so fill to me the parting glass, and drink a health whate’re befalls, and gently rise and softly call, goodnight and joy be to you all.”

The interlude he played was brief, but enough to pick up the tempo and energy of what had been up to this point a quiet ballad.  Alongside the stronger strum of the guitar, Archer’s voice rose to fill the room with song with little effort behind it on his part.  His timbre knowing just the right way to strike the walls and claim the space.  “O’ all the comrades that e'er I had, they're sorry for my going away, and all the sweethearts that e'er I had, they'd wish me one more day to stay...But since it falls unto my lot, that I should rise and you should not, I'll gently rise and softly call, goodnight and joy be with you all.”  Here the barmaid had good timing, coming out of the kitchen with his special recipe in one hand and a small glass of milk in the other.  He looked up at her long enough to give a nod of gratitude and a grin that were in perfect time to the music.

Once the glasses were in front of him, though, the stench from his hangover cure hit his nose like a freight train and there was no stopping the face he made.  And nearly a laugh, too, but he tempered it in time to continue on flawlessly with the final round of the song. “So fill to me the parting glass, and drink a health whate’re befalls, and gently rise and softly call, goodnight and joy be to you all.  But since it falls unto my lot, that I should rise and you should not, I'll gently rise and softly call, goodnight and joy be with you all.”  Holding the final note a few beats beyond the finishing strum of his strings, Archer picked up his glass with his free hand and held it up to the two ladies.  Even though he stopped singing at this point, the energy of the bar would remain warm, as if it was still holding the vibration of his note.  “Sláinte.”

The toast made, down the hatch the disgusting drink went.

[AngelRayne]

A slender brow rose hearing Cat's comment on the drink mix. "Oh gods Archer you're not gonna kill yourself to get sober are ya?" Angel could only imagine the well thought out retort he would have given her for the eating comment. Thankfully that's all she was going to have to do because he decided to not comment. He let it slide? Maybe this night wasn't gonna be all about her getting yelled at after all! She almost stuck her tongue out at him, almost! But she held back, only because it would have been super childish. She didn't even get a chance to say you don't have to do this, he already beat her to the punch.

Of course she wanted to hear him sing! Spot light off of her for the moment at least. When he strummed the guitar, Angel relaxed a bit, leaning more against the bar top then she had been originally. Time for some entertainment that wasn't because of her. But when he started to sing, her jaw hit the floor and those light blues went wide. He was amazing, and he was drunk. Oh now she'd have to get him to sing when he wasn't drunk. Right leg crossed over her left so that the elbow of her right arm could rest on top of her right thigh. Head was placed in her open palm so she could listen. Really listen. Light blues watched Archer play. She never knew! Angel was in complete awe up until ...

The bartender brought out that drink. Oh boy did that stuff stink! Her nose wrinkled and Angel leaned against the bar top again, left hand reaching for her blood wine. Deep breath to hopefully drown out that horrid smell by covering it with the smell of her blood wine and then a drink was taken. She waited till the song was over before she screeched. " Bloody 'ell Archer! That stuff smells like something died in a vat of habanero sauce and sat for weeks before it was found! Your not gonna taste like that are you!?"  Angel gave him an 'I will totally kill you if you do' glare, because that would be just so wrong on his part. Another deep breath close to her glass, watching him take that gross stuff in one drink. She actually shuttered! Poor thing and he was doing it for her...

But she had to say something about his performance! After she calmed down from the reaction to the smell of that drink and found her normal, pre didn't just smell the most horrid thing in the world, voice she offered a smile. Left hand placed the glass back down on the bar so she could clap for him. " That was amazing Archer! I never knew you could do that... " Quick little frown crossed her lips before it was replaced with her smile again. " I think we should have an encore." Just keep grinning Angel.

[Catrina "Cat" Masterson]

Archer's question put a large grin on her face.  She got to explain some of the science to him.  "Most people want a certain color purely for the aesthetic aspect, but some want to train them for a specific purpose.  I've found that the darker colored Pindragons tend to have a more guard dog like personality, while lighter colors are more the playful puppy type.  Also, the darker colors tend to do better in extreme temperatures while the lighter ones need something more tame year round.  The scales do a lot to either collect and contain the heat or reflect it.  Of course, there are exceptions to the rules.  And the dark purple dragons are in a class by themselves.  I've yet to breed one that wasn't pompous and arrogant to some degree."  She smiled again, this smile easily reaching her eyes.

She avoiding adding to the conversation the two of them were having about eating while drinking. That was none of her business.  Besides, she hadn't eaten in several hours herself.  And she had been tossing back ale at her visit with her sister.  But who needed to know all of that?  So she poured herself yet another drink and sipped from that while she waited to see if Archer was going to sing for them.

Yay!  Angel had agreed to a song, so Archer was going to give them one.  But why in the world would he think it was a bad decision?  "You'll have to school me in what constitutes a bad decision some time, Archer.  I'm quite curious about it."  Wicked, yet playful, grin upon her face to punctuate her comment.

When Archer began to play, Cat picked up her drink and crossed her right leg over her left.  She rested her left elbow on her right knee while her left hand held her drink.  To keep herself from falling off the stool in her leaned position, she held onto the stool beside herself with her right hand. 

She was enthralled by the beauty of his voice.  He was so melodic.  And those lyrics were so wonderful.  She was fully engrossed, until his drink arrived.  She sat upright and wrinkled her nose as she squinted her eyes.  Her right hand came up to cover her mouth and nose.  She managed to make it through the rest of his song without a sound. 

As soon as his song was through, and Angel said her piece about the drink, she blurted out her held back comment.  "For the love of the God's Archer, what else is in that thing?  Anchovies or Kippers or something?  That is purely horrid."  She put her drink to her lips so she would smell the scotch instead of the concoction that Archer was going to consume.

And then he did it.  Much to the chagrin of both women present.  It was all Cat could do to not bring her scotch back up for all to see.  Just the smell of that stuff seemed sobering.  She couldn't imagine how bad the taste was.  She emptied her glass in one swallow and poured herself yet another.  The smell of the drink had left a taste on her tongue that she wanted to wash away quite rapidly.

She was swallowing down more scotch to cleanse her pallet when Angel suggested an encore.  She swallowed the contents of her mouth as she began to nod.  "Oh yes, encore, definitely.  I wholeheartedly agree.  We absolutely want an encore."  Her head continued to nod as she emptied her glass and refilled it.  She had gotten the taste off of her tongue, so now she could go back to drinking like a lady.

[Archer Caughey]

They’d have to excuse Archer for a minute.  Even though the man knew what was about to hit his hatch, there was only so much a person could do to brace themselves for it.  Step one was the battle to actually keep it in his stomach, which gave a churn not unlike a distempered volcano.  Step two was still doing that when the heat kicked in, a moment which was marked by Archer dropping a string of curses that were half in common, half in Gaelic, and none of them very appropriate.  He grabbed the glass of milk, swishing a mouthful around his mouth to wash the spicy oils off this tongue.  A repeat of that, and it was on to step three.  Wiping his sweaty reddened face with his handkerchief and leaning against the bar counter to weather the the storm until it passed over.  “Old Caughey family recipe,” was all he’d offer them as explanation for what was in the sludge.  Letting out a slow breath, by the end of it he was stifling a belch.  “Saints alive…”  He finished his milk, just for good measure.

“The bad decisions are many and their kinds myriad, Catrina.”  Funny how that answer was phrased like a song lyric, rolling off the tongue in perfect rhythm even though it was spoken.  It was because he’d just been singing.  Hard to put a lid on the gift nowadays, once that can was open.  “That’s a dangerous road for one who comes from a lucky world, aye?  Ye don’t want the effects of me to keep turnin’ up like a bad penny.  Just ask Angel.”  A nod at the woman across from him.  That was a joke.  And he managed the foolish smile and mostly the tone to deliver it as one, even if he was still a bit weathered from his last drink of the night.  Just a minute more, at most two, and he’d be feeling like a new man.  “Ye can hold onto my jacket though, as long as ye need it.”  Archer always kept a couple of his cards in the left inner pocket.  

They always asked for an encore.  Always.  Way back when, he’d been the king of encores, the literal life of the party happy to keep the songs going until dawn, but...these days it was a victory just to get him to play at all.  Being the life of the party wasn’t serious enough for a man who’d used this life to throw himself into science like he had something to prove.  Which is why, dear friends, these days Archer only sang after he was good and drunk.  He slipped the strap of his strings over his shoulder, resting the instrument against his back.  Looking uneasy, like he still wasn’t convinced that singing for them had been the best idea.  Which is why his only reply to Angel’s comment about not knowing he could do that was a sheepish shrug.  “Even I can’t manage an encore after drinking that heinous sh-t.  Besides, that was The Parting Glass.  It’s tradition to leave that the last song of the night.”  And Archer was a stickler for tradition.

He straightened, tucking his handkerchief into his back pocket. “What I have managed, however, is sobriety.”  Proclaimed with a proud grin.  Sure enough, his accent was tempered and the slurring was gone.  What a wonderdrink.  A scolding look followed, along with a shake of his head.  “And of course I’m not going to taste like that.  You’re not getting out of this one in an almost million chance that easy, Angel.”  

[AngelRayne]

Watching Archer and the after math of taking that horrid smelling instant sober drink, made Angel feel about as horrible as that stuff smelled. Not because she wasn't going to go through with it, but because he went through that for her. If that makes any sense. Hand absently reached up to play with the rings around her neck, little frown forming on her lips. Questions started to form in her mind. Ones that she really didn't know the answer to, or if she really wanted to know the answer to.  

She had drifted off for just a moment, lost in her thoughts when she heard her name. Light blues blinked a few times, looking to Archer and then to Cat. Mind quickly played catch up with the conversation. Angel matched his smile with one of her own. " Oh Archer, you aren't that bad to be around. Nor are you that terrible to have popping up every so often. " That is what he meant right? Gods she hoped so, or she'd have a whole lot of explaining to do cuz that's one of the things that was running through her mind.

That smile turned into a frown, almost a pout when he declined the encore. " Archer you would pick the only song in the world that ends the show before it even begins! Guess I'll have to get you drunk again to hear another one?" Frown disappeared into an Angel smile. Not that she was going to do that right now! He didn't just go and drink that vile stuff for no reason.  " Not that I'd go and do that now after what you just went through." For me. Left unsaid of course. Hand that had been playing with her rings stop and reach for her glass just to polish off the drink.  Once that was done, her little pocket was opened and the glass was placed inside and the pocket was closed again.

She gave another smile to Archer. " Love I wasn't trying to get out of it, just making sure your not going to taste like that horrid stuff. Smelling it once is enough for a life time, so I really don't want to know what it tastes like. " She was worried about some things though ... but only way to figure it all out was to jump in feet first right?

[Catrina "Cat" Masterson]

Cat giggled at the streak of profanity that Archer spewed forth as a result of the drink.  So the Irish gentleman did have a bit of that infamous drunken Irish temperament in him.  She listened to him talk about bad decisions and grinned.  "I don't know about all that.  I think I could handle it.  Besides, if the effects of you included you yourself, I think that could make for a lot of good decisions."  Oh yea, she just went there.  Perhaps Archer would call her blatant flirting a bad decision, but Cat counted it as a good one.  Well, unless Angel was going to kick her drunken ass for it.  She chuckled when she heard what Angel had to say about it.

She had totally forgotten that she was wearing his jacket.  Sheepish grin spread across her face.  "Thanks.  I was so comfortable that I forgot I had it on.  I'll get it back to you later.  I promise."  Yay!  Perfect excuse to see him again.  

Bring on the pouty face.  No encore?  Well that sucked.  Though, if she had drank that nastiness, she'd be off the entertainment list as well.  Hell, as it was she was drinking slower because now she was drinking alone.  And the slower drinking would lead to her getting tired and wanting a bed sooner.  Only human and all.  So she didn't think she would be very entertaining soon anyway.  

She looked at the bottle. There was about three glasses left in it.  So she'd finish it.  And while she did, she'd be there in case Archer needed backup to hold Angel to her word.  Though, she doubted he'd need it.  She did say that she was true to her word.  So, unless they left the bar for this feeding, Cat would  just sit there and let them do their thing while she worked on polishing off that bottle.

[Archer Caughey]

Angel’s assessment of him made him laugh.  His laughs were nice to listen to, short songs of their own in a way.  “That bad.  That terrible.  You see?  When a women qualifies her statement with ‘that’, you know she’s trying to politely cover a pile of sh-t with roses.”  He was just teasing, which is why he was grinning at Angel like a damned fool when he said it.  

Pulling out his wallet, he was fishing out money to pay for his last monstrosity of a drink as he mulled Catrina’s words over, “If the effects of me included me myself...that has the sound of a bit of a riddle.  If past experience is any indicator, though, I’m fairly certain there’s no way to remove me from that equation.”  Money plopped on the bar, Catrina got a smile.  “Of course it’s comfortable.  A couple of my cards are in the pocket, for when you need help finding me.”  Arcadia made those cards for him, they were one of the precious few magical items Archer had ever used.  Oh the debates about magic versus science...oh the debates.  But then again, those two got heated with each other about practically everything.

Now he had two women pouting at him.  These were the moments that were so familiar and foreign to him at the same time that the dichotomy crashed in his mind.  “Aye, I would.  Because I’m a genius.”  Retort given to Angel with a so-there smile.  “Besides, I played an entire set already, at the pub down the street.  No better place to go around here when you want to sing songs about the old country.”  There was their clue, if they were ever looking to get him to sing again.  Might change on another day, but tonight Archer wasn’t feeling too keen on the idea of playing here again.  Too many people who knew him meant a much greater margin of risk.

With the kind of ease that made it obvious he wore one all the time, Archer loosened up his tie.  Flicking open the top two buttons on his shirt.  He was trying to give easy access.  Tab and all that taken care of, he crossed around the bar to Angel.  “I’m glad to hear it, because I’m all yours.”  What she did with him from here, that was up to her.  If she opted not to feed on him in a public place he’d see the logic in that.  

[AngelRayne]

Sober Archer, not much different then Drunk Archer. Main difference is the accent everything else is still the same! She laughed softly at his reply to her words. " Keep that up and I'll explain ya in a few other choice words." Of course Angel grin was given after she spoke. She was kidding of course! There wasn't a bad thing she could say about him, now.  Ask her a few years ago ... and yeah there might have been some bad mouthing.  But that was then and this is now.

She watched the interaction between Cat and Archer. Angel tried to follow their conversation, she really did! But, it was completely lost on her. Until the talk of his card came up. She had one of those, still does somewhere in her room. " That card is pretty neat. I was fascinated with it for a time, even after I already knew where he was. " A little bobble of her head was given after that comment. She didn't want to give away all the surprises that card held! Let Cat figure that out on her own.

Slender brow rose as Archer explained he had already sung earlier in the night and that was why he had sung his last song of the night for them. " I just have to find this pub when you are there so I can hear more then. Or just get ya drunk again ... which is probably the easier answer out of the two." Light blues caught the movement of his hands, watched them loosen his tie and then opening the two top buttons of his shirt. Well sh*t, he wasn't wasting any time now was he? Eyes continued to watch him as he walked around the bar to her. Tiny little swallow was given before he reached her, so hopefully he wouldn't hear it. " What here? " Those eyes looked to Cat and then back at him. Nothing against Cat, she'd feed anywhere really, but Angel wasn't really confident how this would go. " Can we go back to my room instead Archer? Please?" Light blues filled with worry when she asked Archer that. Fingers once again absently moving to play with those rings around her neck.

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