Boy, You Fine. Let's Drink Some Moonshine! [Ethan]

[Edmund Conner]

Loud voices boomed in the dimly lit bar with a mixture of laughter, arguing, and flirting. There were Carna, Fulsi, Fallen, Rogues, and even a Nakoma in the Speakeasy all getting along. Edmund was surprised to see such a diverse group of people acting civilly so well in a big bubble of a home full of tension. Every ring was out to get each other and yet alcohol was what brought people together in some distorted harmony. It became an interesting thought to think about with a smirk on his face. Alone by himself the Fallen Scout drank his moonshine slowly in silence in his own little pity party about being taken away from the outside. Only a few months had past since Edmund was first put in the hellhole known as the Menagerie. In his mind it felt like he had been in the Fallen Ring forever. All he hoped for was that he would wake up from this nightmare laying in his big comfy king sized bed while surrounded by all his entitled rich boy belongings. Turning his head abruptly in his tipsy daze to the "audience" behind him Edmund had noticed something about a change in himself. The different smells of the various rings became a lot more prominent as he pin-pointed which Shifter belonged to each ring. The majority in the Speakeasy was taken over by the Fulsi. All of them were men that were each flirting only with men. "W-haat thah hell? Arrre all the Fulsi gayy," he questioned under his breath. The longer he lived in the Menagerie Edmund felt as though he was learning something new every day. A shadow loomed over him taking Edmund by surprise. Turning his attention slowly Edmund looked up the tall man standing there with a warm smile on his face. From the way he smelled as the stranger stood so close Edmund could indicate he was a Fulsi. Yet, there was another natural manly musk kind of smell with a mixture of sensational pheromones from the stranger as well. Edmund's interests were peaked immediately with a tinge of excitement. A dumb grin plastered over his face while looking at the Fulsi. "Hiii there." OOC: Teehee~! :D

[Ethan Graff]

It had been a long ass week. Long. Ass. Week—full of hunting (most of it failures), rain and a veritable swarm of mosquitos. Today alone had been miserable enough. He’d spent the whole day creeping through the forests, belly dragging in the dirt until he was slick with rain and mud. Altogether very uncomfortable and resulting in a rather fruitless endeavor in their hunt for live prey. He and his hunting party did manage to forage a ton of fruit though, so at least they wouldn’t be going home empty handed. They’d dropped their stash off with the outpost at the Inn and headed to the Speakeasy to kick back and relax; Ethan had made sure to take a dip in one of the rivers in Retroville to wash off some of the mud and stank and he was fairly certain he smelled as good as one could in the dome. Freshly washed and changed into a spare set of clothes he always carried with him Ethan stole his way into the Speakeasy, choosing to remain on the fringes of the crowds—at least to start. As a cop he had been trained to assess the room first to gauge any threats or possible dangerous situations. But the feel in the crowded, smoky room was definitely a feel-good vibe. No bad juju, not tonight anyway. The Speakeasy was always a testy place, a breeding ground for hostility depending on the crowds and how much they’d had to drink, or who’d been raiding who; some nights it was a ghost town, when the Keepers were especially cruel with their game of playing God. But tonight it was chock full, a colorful assortment of the dome’s denizens including a surprising amount of his fellow Ringmates. He grinned and wanted to join them at their table, some of them sending a wave of relief and a flood of warmth through him after the week from hell he’d had. The Fulsi weren’t the tightest knit group, but he had his friends and that made him happy enough. But it wasn’t his friends that caught his eye—not tonight. He saw a man sitting on his own, nursing an unmarked bottle of booze. Moonshine, then. It wasn’t Ethan’s favorite and he wasn’t much of a drinker at all, but after the misery of the week all he could think about was some of that rotgut liquor; that and the man’s arms. Ethan’s eyes trailed along the artfully decorated limbs, feet guiding themselves almost of their own fruition towards the man. It took Ethan a moment to ID him as a Fallen, barely managing to catch his scent amongst the muddle of smells in the crowded room. He heard the tail end of what the Fallen muttered to himself, grinning. A perfect opening, then. Ethan swung a leg over the back of a squat chair and sat himself next to the Fallen, teeth flashing in a wide and welcoming smile. “Nah, not all of us. We’re just real friendly,” he said. “I’m surprised to see a Fallen drinking alone,” he continued. “I can help with that, if you’d like.” He grinned (he was always grinning, or so everyone seemed to point out after getting to know him) at the tattooed man and offered him a hand. "Name's Ethan." ooc| not my best but IT IS A POOOOOOST

[Edmund Conner]

Within the slight blurriness of the commotion and ecstasy around the room a tall blonde man caught his attention as he entered his little dome of privacy. White teeth, a gorgeous smile, and a warm energy was a nice sight for a change compared to the sand, dirt, and fools. It appeared the Fulsi man overheard his mumbling that made Edmund blush a little adding to the light rosacea already on his face from the alcohol. Edmund turned himself towards Ethan putting one arm at the end of the bar top with his drink barely gripped in his hand. His head tilted to the side with a smirk on his face. "Not all of yooou?" he replied with a soft laugh at the end. "What about you? Do you fit the description I'm talking about?" he questioned in a flirtatious tone. The Fulsi's blue eyes seemed to pierce light from the darkness which heavily captivated Edmund. It was as nothing could distract him even for a second from staring at Ethan. Felt nice to have somebody actually reach out to him instead of sitting alone at the bar by himself. Edmund did not even know it was uncommon for Fallen to be more of a loner. "Well, I guess we're called Fallen for a reason. We definitely ain't no angels, either," he joked. "And yes, you sir, arrrre most definitely welcome to join me. Let's not make this a party, though. Just you and me. One on one. I'm gonna be the hero, though. You can be my sidekick. Just sayin'!" Edmund leaned forward and reached out his free hand in response to grasp Ethan's welcoming handshake. "I'm Edmund. Nice to see you... MEET you. Both are nice." Without realizing it the Fallen Scout was holding onto the Fulsi's hand a little too long with a dumb grin on his face. When he let go Edmund leaned his elbow onto the bar top and laid his head into the palm of his hand. "So, Ethan, the Aryan Fulsi with a dashing smile and charm, what brings you here? Look a bit too happy and sober to be in this dump. It's nice, though." It was obvious Edmund had enough to drink to kill his filter as well as add a slur to his words. "Got two questions for ya. Would you like to have a drink with me and may I call you Sunshine? Seems fitting, don't you think?" he said while still gazing into Ethan's eyes. ----------------------------------------------------- OOC - Hope not poop and enough to respond to! I expect a response soon. ;D

[Ethan Graff]

Ethan watched the Fallen, chuckling lightly at the man’s current level of intoxication; probably well over the legal limit. Ethan mused quietly to himself over the trivial woes of life outside the dome, grinning to himself despite the severity of the thought. He sobered slightly at the thought of how un-drunk he was and found himself thirsty for stronger libations. He licked his chapped lips (how the hell where they chapped after spending so days in the pouring rain?), rubbing his hands together before he tried to relieve the Fallen of his bottle but the man pulled it closer to his chest. Damn, so close. “Oh, I’m not a kiss and tell kind of gal,” he said with a wink, noticing how even through the haze of drink the Fallen man had a surprisingly intense and focused gaze. It usually would’ve unnerved Ethan but he found it strangely enticing. Maybe it was just the promise of whiskey and a challenge. “Hmm I thought most of you Fallen left the devilry up to us,” he said with an innocent blink. “And the Carna,” he added with a sage nod. He knew the Fallen had gotten a rep of being “pansies” but that was mostly from the Tenders who hadn’t ever gotten in a fight with one. Ethan knew better than to incur the wrath of a Fallen scorned. “Well that’s the most exciting invitation I think I’ve ever received,” he said flatly, one eyebrow raised. “I s’pose I could be Robin to your Batman but there’s no way you’re getting me in tights. At least not on one bottle of moonshine, you’re not.” He took Edmund’s hand and shook it, using his other to snake the bottle free from the crook of Edmund’s armpit, nodding at what he’d said. “The feeling’s mutual,” He said and took a swig, the harsh liquid burning its way down his throat. “Shhhhh-yit that is strong!” He was busy downing another gulp when he nearly spewed out his moonshine in a glorified spit-take. He choked down a laugh and finally managed to swallow, shaking his head and wiping his eyes from the sting. “Hoo boy,” he said. “I been called a lot of things over the years. Never an Aryan, though.” He swilled the clear liquid around in the bottle before handing it back to Edmund. “I know the Fulsi have a bit of a kinda-sorta invasion-prone land-grabby rep but we’re not Nazis. Not most of us anyway,” he said with a feral grin. “’Sides I don’t think Alpha Charm would look too dashing with a ‘stache.” His thoughts warmed when he thought about Charm, his Princess Charming, and the time they’d spent in the Retro forests. She was a good friend. He got lost in memories for a moment before glancing back up to Edmund. “Honey, you can call me whatever you want s’long as the drinks keep comin’,” He said with a warm laugh. “Like I said, I been called worse.” He grabbed the bottle back from Edmund when he offered it, saluting him. "How's about I call you Hero and we call it a deal." He downed another gulp, then another, followed by another burning sip. He could feel his head starting to swim already. Damn that stuff was potent. "It'll be like exchanging friendship bracelets," he mused. "Only less tacky. More macho macho." he said and flexed a bicep. He laughed at his own stupidity before motioning absently with his hand. "So, Hero. Edmund. What you doin' here all by yourself?"

[Edmund Conner]

It was amusing to Edmund to know that each ring in the Menagerie had a certain reputation, common personality, and a bond. Being fairly new to the dome he was still learning little bits about the history behind it. The most interesting one he heard about was the war and how the Nakoma, previously known as the Bestia, were pretty much wiped out. Felt pretty cool knowing they survived despite the hardship they faced. Only a few Anthros, Edmund, had the pleasure of meeting. The Fallen Scout treated them equally since everyone was trapped in one place and promised death like every living creature in the world. Meeting a Romanian Anthro that belonged to no ring was his most interesting encounter. "Oh, devilry? Well, it seems one of your tricks is temptation. They do say that Lucifer was the most beautiful angel in Heaven before he was cast away to Hell. I'm apart of the Fallen in this Hellhole. Have you come to tempt me?" Edmund loved Ethan's quick witty responses to his own nonchalant choices of words. It was as if the chuckling nerve was being tickled inside of him on repeat and could not stop. "Getting you in tights as my sidekick? I'd get you into something a lot more revealing or nothing at all except a cape. I'd most surely be okay with that." Definitely a bold thing to announce to a stranger, but without a filter Edmund did not care. Mostly he felt eager to see how the beautiful Fulsi would respond to him. May as well have a little fun with Ethan before anything developed further. When Ethan took the bottle from him, Edmund, loved seeing how the Fulsi tried his best to chug down the bastard alcohol. Even for the Fallen Scout the Moonshine tasted stronger than normal. It was just easier for Edmund to drink since he could not even taste it after consuming as much as he had. In the back of his mind Edmund believed it was kind of cute to see Ethan trying his best to drink as much as he could. The tatted up Fallen laughed at the Fulsi's glorious attempt to just swallow as much as possible. "Slow it down there, buddy. Don't need to inhale the bottle along with it. Would be an interesting thing to see, but not necessary." Nowhere was it his intention to relate Ethan to a Nazi. Edmund understood that the Aryan race were just blonde haired, blue eyed people. Only Adolf Hitler appeared to have a fetish with it despite the lack of those features. "Totally was not calling you a Nazi. Your blonde hair and blue eyes are just pretty to look at and I don't know what Charm even looks like. I'd like to see her in person before I make my own decision if she would look dashing with a 'stache," he said with a playful grin. "You look quite dashing with that goatee if I do say so myself. Maybe Hitler would have been more attractive if he grew one as well. He could learn a thing or two from ya." 'Exchanging macho macho friendship bracelets? Way too cute.' the Fallen thought to himself. "Hero? Hmmmm. I like the sound of that. Hopefully the power doesn't go to my head," he joked in return. Edmund bit his lip softly as Ethan flexed his bicep a bit. The desire to reach out and touch Ethan's bicep was overwhelming, but he managed even under the influence to hold himself back. If he was lucky enough Edmund believed there would be another chance to have the privilege to do that. The Fallen also pondered if he had the opportunity see the rest of the body that bicep was attached to. 'Hopefully soon.' "All by myself? Don't know too many people here and decided to have a pity party," he bluntly said. Every word he spoke was true that he came to the bar to forget his sorrow. There was no shame in being completely honest. Even though Ethan was reminding Edmund of his feelings; just being around the Fulsi made Edmund take another step forward towards acceptance. "So, Sunshine. Ethan. What brought you to this place and why did you feel the need to join me? Plenty of Fulsi brethren here to sit with and you came to a lonely Fallen all by himself. Enlighten me," he responded in question with a mixture between being satirical and serious. Hopping down from the bar stool Edmund grabbed a chair to mimic the way Ethan was sitting. The Fallen wanted to get even closer to him to see what could form. "Oh, Sunshine. I'm curious as to why you joined the Fulsi. Do you have any family members there? With a personality like yours I'm sure they must be a kind person to be around." There was a slight stab of jealousy when he talked about a nice family situation. Even though Edmund did not know the reason yet it was still something he envied from other people. Maybe being exiled into the Menagerie was not such a bad thing? "Sunshine. Sunshine. Sunshine. Whatever am I going to do with you?" OOC: Teehee~! :D

[Ethan Graff]

Ethan was trying to stay focused on what his new found Hero was saying but it was difficult to concentrate, what with the way his lips were moving quite attractively but the rest of his face was getting kind of fuzzy. What the hell was in that stuff he was drinking? It had been a long day but usually he could hold his liquor better, even if he wasn't much more than a social drinker, occasionally the social drunk. What had he said? Something about wearing nothing but a cape. "Sounds cold." He said to the particularly hazy area that had been Edmund. The risque nature of the comment was completely lost on him, and he smiled numbly back at Edmund, trying to gather his thoughts from the beautiful mist that had settled over everything. It was a nice, warm feeling. Better than he'd felt in a week, and as he looked back at Edmund he was realizing it wasn't just the booze. He hadn't had good company in a bit. The Fulsi was his family, no doubt. But they weren't all the friendliest lot and he'd been stuck with the grumps on his hunting trip, the grumps who didn't think he had anything to offer besides a willingness to learn. Not like he'd been raised to hunt and slaughter deer and bunnies, not like the survivalist types seemed to bark at him over and over. Oh, well. What was it Edmund said, now? Hitler and a goatee? "Nah. Couldn't pull it off well s'me. Hadn't got the chin ferit." He laughed at the thought, then laughed harder when Edmund accepted his nickname. Oh, this guy was willing to go along with anything! He sobered though when his Hero said he'd come here for a pity party. "Now thas a shame," he slurred. When did he start slurring? He'd hardly started drinking and he already sounded way over the legal limit. Kinda embarrassing. "Sad party is sad. That's why 'm here! Good company is hard to find, and I'll be damned if I ain't the best company to be had around this shitty esh-eshtablishment." he paused, bleary eyed and suddenly tired. But he gave it a moment and things cleared up and he felt as if he could jump over a building or maybe something less dramatic. "That stuff 's strong." He mused, before getting to Edmund's question. "I joined the Fulsi 'cos they were...there. Was looking for my sisters, got into trouble 'couple times. Fulsi kept me safe. Now they're my rodzina, my family." He leaned in closer to Edmund, and whispered into his ear. "Got a sister in the Carna. I want to get her out. They're all crazy assholes over there. Buncha savages, kill you soon as look at you. Probably each other, too. She can't be safe there." Well, he thought he was whispering, anyway. But when he felt a hand grab his shoulder and he turned around to a hostile looking woman (who smelled distinctly of Carna, how salty) with her fist an inch away from his face he decided he was not, in fact, whispering. "Hello, friend," he said in the calmest voice possible, but she shifted her grip from his shoulder to his shirt collar, dragging him off his bar stool. He was almost a foot taller than her, but she didn't seem to care. "Say it again, Fulsi, and I'll show you what a Carna is really like." Her breath reeked of moonshine, in fact it was rolling off her in waves. "Kinda proving my point, with the threats of violence and all," he said before he could stop himself. He saw a little flicker in her eye that told him she was gonna swing and he ducked just in time, though he watched in numb surprise as her fist collided with Edmund. "Well. To answer your question, Hero, I'd have to say...you wouldn't get punched without me." Ethan grinned at Edmund, clearly not too bothered by the prospect of a fight. "You're welcome for that. Though, really ladies. Ya'll should know, never the face. It's the moneymaker." Ethan nodded sagely, though judging by the look on the Carna's face and the bottle flying at his face she plainly didn't care. He barely managed to dodge that one, the bottle catching him on the ear. ooc| can't never have a good time! Carna always startin' biz!

[Edmund Conner]

After, admitting his little pity party intentions Edmund was still surprised that Ethan did not look down upon him. No one likes a person who plays the 'Why Me? Why Me?' card. It also became clear that his new Fulsi acquaintance was quite over the tipsy border. "The best damn company?" he questioned in a jokingly mocking tone. "Well, my durr Sunshine, you're gonna haaave to prove that one. That's a booold statement and you gitta live up to your reputa-tation." he slurred in return to Ethan's wording. Edmund realized that he drank a little more than he bargained himself for and it was hitting him later than expected. 'Oh well. Let's see how this plays out,' the Fallen thought to himself. As the man, Ethan, spoke about his family that envy from earlier conversation still showed itself. The courage and determination the Fulsi had caused Edmund to feel more compassion for the guy over the negative emotion. "Your rodzina? That's quite cute," he responded. "Well, maybe one day I can help you out and find your rodzina," Edmund said in the Polish language. Luckily, coming from a rich family it gave him the opportunity to learn many dialects giving him the ability to connect with many different walks of life. To be able to speak to Ethan in English, Shifter-Tongue, and now Polish it was a nice way to connect to the Fulsi just a bit more. From the accusations being made about the Carna Ring it instilled a bit of fear in him. There were always whispers about that enemy ring about how savage like they can be. Everything the Fulsi was saying just reaffirmed that those rumors were factual instead of being silly gossip. Even though Ethan was going on about how everyone in the Carna except for his sister was crazy Edmund still felt slightly nervous of the mental condition the mysterious woman may be in. "Savages? Really savages? Sounds like they're barely even hooman. An angry woman appeared out of nowhere from the crowded Speakeasy. This was the first Carna, Edmund, came to meet in person. All she began doing was proving Ethan's point as she made violent threats. Right as Edmund began to get off the bar stool he felt the Carna's punch make contact with his face. Dramatically, more than likely due to the alcohol, Edmund fell backwards out of the chair and landed on the floor with a loud thud as his head hit the ground. "Owwwwwwwwwww. Whhhyyyyyyyyyyy?" he whined. To be honest, hitting his head on the ground did not hurt that much. It was more of the surprise that caused inflict any kind of pain. Rolling over onto his stomach Edmund pushed himself off the ground to stand back up on his feet. As he turned to face the Carna and Ethan again he rubbed the back of his head with a sad childish facial expression. "That hurt, you bitchface and was also very rude... bitchface." The Carna lady did not take very kindly to his words. She began to charge at Edmund to which he reached out his right hand to stop her from hitting him again. To his surprise and everybody else's in the bar a bolt of electricity came from his finger tips sending the Carna flying back hitting the wall all the way across the Speakeasy. Edmund's jaw instantly dropped after witnessing what he had just done. He turned his head to look at Ethan, then the Carna lady, then Ethan, then the Carna lady, then finally Ethan. "Broooooooooo. Am I wizurrrd? That has never happened before." At this point Edmund wasn't sure what to do next. English Polish

[Ethan Graff]

Ethan wasn’t quite sure what happened next—Edmund called the Carna lady a bitchface and suddenly she was flying across the room. Ethan watched as the woman hit the wall and slowly, almost comically, slid down it until she slumped on the floor. The edges of his vision were getting fuzzy again but his eyes slowly drifted back to Edmund, who was staring at him in slack-jawed amazement at what he’d just done. “Yep. You’re a wizard, Hero.” Ethan slurred with a slow, serious nod. At that particularly drunk moment in time there seemed no other possible solution, not even in a dome full of mutated freaks. The whole speakeasy went silent for one long, drawn out minute and a half (that seemed to Ethan to be approximately 5 minutes and 45 seconds) before someone knocked over a glass and a roar of chaos erupted. Shifters started throwing wild punches, aiming for whatever had a face. There didn’t seem to be a fist in the whole joint that wasn’t swinging or a foot that wasn’t kicking some type of ass. A Fallen who, in Ethan’s professional opinion, was way more shift-faced than three sheets to the wind saw his reflection in the mirror, inquired if his reflection was indeed “talkin’ to me?” Ethan swayed on his feet, drawn in to the performance as the Fallen promptly punching out the aged glass. Obviously he didn’t like the answer he’d given himself. The Carna woman was still down for the count but her considerably larger and possibly drunker friends had just fought their way through a couple Rogues and were honing in on Edmund. Ethan stumbled the few feet to Edmund’s side and grabbed onto his shoulders, nearly knocking him down. “WE GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE!” he shouted not realizing how close he was to the Fallen’s ear and thinking he wouldn’t be able to hear him over the roar of the bar fight. He grabbed Edmund’s scruffy chin, his grip causing Edmund’s lips to squish into a fish-like pout. Ethan turned Edmund’s head in the direction of the Carna Hit Squad steadily punching and round-housing their way through the crowd of raucous drunkards. “Pretty sure at least one of them knows parkour and I think the blonde one is some kind of ninja,” Ethan said, still holding on to Edmund’s face. He didn't wait for an answer and lurched forward, grabbing for Edmund's hand as he surged into the frenzy of fists and bottles and--wait a second was that a chicken? Ethan ducked as the fowl squawked and flapped over his head before disappearing under a table. Trying to figure out why and how a live chicken was in the Speakeasy and whether or not he had time to track it down and possibly eat it, Ethan didn't see the short, slightly singed woman storming up to him. He looked down just in time to see her fist swinging at him in a fierce uppercut that landed on his jaw, slamming his teeth together with a resounding clack. He stumbled backwards into Edmund, arms windmilling as he tried to regain his balance. Edmund pushed against his back and Ethan got his feet under him again and prepared to rush the Carna woman but she had disappeared into the crowd. Maybe she'd gone to find the chicken. Selfish Carna, never sharing nothing. "Chicken," was all he could muster to say around his numb mouth, not realizing he'd bitten his tongue and had blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. He wheeled around to find Edmund, patting him on the top of his head, in his drunken haze dragging his palm down the front of Edmund's face and covering it with his hand. Out of nowhere a big Fulsi-smelling man Ethan didn't know grabbed Edmund's other arm and tried to punch him but Ethan swung round, planted a boot on his chest and with a light shove sent the big man stumbling into a table. "Sorry!" he called back over his shoulder. A woman, Rogue maybe?, came at them wielding a bottle of wine like a club, hollering something about the last of the Mohicans and tripped over Edmund's foot, landing on the smelly Fulsi's lap. "Match made in heav'n," Ethan said with a lopsided smile and a salute before he grabbed Edmund's hand again and dragged him towards the entrance. He hauled Edmund up the ancient, creaking stairs before bursting into the open air of the surface. He only managed to stumble a few paces before he tripped on god knows what and ended up sprawled on his back, dragging Edmund with him. His chest was heaving and the world above was spinning and all he could do was laugh. It was a good minute before Ethan turned to Edmund with a sudden realization. "Wait! You're a Polski?"

[Edmund Conner]

Edmund rotated his hands back and forth as he began staring at them in awe and slight fear. Never in his life had he ever done something like that nor see anyone else in the Menagerie. 'Maybe being a Shifter isn't so bad?' Obtaining the nickname Hero, he thought that there must be no coincidence. Now, he kept wondering where he could find a super suit that was a mixture between super hero and wizard. There had to be something out there! 'Do I need a super hero name? Will I be justice for the entire Menagerie? Just the Fallen? Oh my God... do I have to be around Ethan for it to work? .....I can live with that.' he rambled in his head during the long silence in the Speakeasy. The glass hitting the floor woke him out of his daydream. Everybody appeared to be going crazy which caused Edmund to wonder if he was now the God of discord and chaos. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," he joked to Ethan as they both apparently were spectating the madness going on in the Speakeasy. Two women were slapping each other back and forth repeatedly causing both their faces to be redder than a baboon's tush. One guy was just flailing his arms hoping to hit somebody hard enough. "I've always wanted to go to the circus. Here I am. Wow." In his gutt there was a part of him that kind of wanted to join in the ruckus. Luckily, the alcohol did not cloud his judgment too harshly where Edmund still had the self control to hold back. All of a sudden Edmund's ears started to ache when Ethan yelled in his ear. "WHERE IS THE EXIT? I LOST MY SENSE OF DIRECTION," he shouted back on accident. Despite the fact the exit was in an easy view the craziness and alcohol scrambled his brain a bit. To his surprise Ethan grabbed ahold of his chin causing him to make kissy lips. Edmund planned on blaming it on the alcohol as he began to blush tremendously. Without any time to daydream, Edmund, was now looking at the Carna coming their way. His heart began to beat faster and his eyes bulged slightly out of fear of what may come next. "I have no idea who Parkour is and if the blonde was a ninja we couldn't see them," he replied as Ethan sprinted forward. Edmund's shoulder almost dislocated when Ethan tugged on his hand forward almost making him trip. "A warning would have been nice," he howled over the noise of the room. The Fallen attempted to look at the people around him, but he was too fixated on looking at the Fulsi's butt. Once again Edmund almost tripped as they're racing came to a quick stop when the Carna woman hit Ethan in the jaw. Edmund was grateful for his fast reflexes as he gained his balance before Ethan did so he was able to catch him just in time. "Yeah, she was a chicken," he responded while patting Ethan on the head. Even when Ethan turned around Edmund continued to pat him on the head. The Fallen Scout closed his eyes with a grin when the adorable Fulsi put his hand on his face. That cute moment ended as his other arm got yanked by a disgusting looking and smelling Fulsi. "Let go of me you sock puppet jerk off!" Just as Edmund thought his shoulder was now definitely going to be pulled out of place Ethan saved him from the brute. Edmund cringed as some woman charged at him yelling all sorts of nonsense. When he noticed the woman was not paying very much attention he stuck out his foot causing her to trip and land right on the yucky Fulsi. "We have a match! Ding ding ding!" For the third time Edmund almost tripped again when Ethan dragged him toward the entrance. The sound of the stairs worried the tattooed Fallen as he prayed the ground underneath him would not collapse. Finally, they made it out of the Speakeasy and before he even had a chance to stand still Edmund fell on top of Ethan. Edmund could feel how soaked they both were from the sweat of all the running around. Adjusting himself the Fallen stayed on top of Ethan except with his arms extended next to Ethan's sides holding himself up. As he breathed heavily Edmund had a stupid grin on his face from all the excitement. Just like a confused dog he turned his head sideways at Ethan due to his question. Took him a few seconds to realize that Ethan was talking about earlier when he spoke in Polish. Edmund chuckled at the off topic question after everything that just happened. "Nope. Just learned... the language for... the hell of it," he answered between heavy breaths. Looking Ethan in the eyes Edmund bit his lip slightly as he became nervous when it dawned on him that they were both very, very close. Edmund was unsure if he should kiss him or get off of him. It felt like he was paralyzed from the neck down. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thoughts Speaking Out Loud

[Ethan Graff]

Ethan suddenly felt like the weight of the world was on his chest, and for the life of him he couldn’t explain why. Wait, nope it was just Edmund. The world stopped spinning and Edmund’s startlingly blue eyes came into focus; Ethan’s eyes trailed along the Fallen’s admittedly handsome face, focusing on his lips as he spoke. The edges of his vision were hazy at best and he had trouble keeping his eyes open and focused. But Edmund’s face seemed to help with that a bit. It was a distraction from the dull, warm buzzing in his head. And quite a pleasant distraction, if he said so himself. And he did. Ethan lifted his hand and rested it in the crook of Edmunds arm when he moved, keeping him in place. “For the hell of it, eh?” He said brows quirked up in curiosity and his trademark grin, which only got wider when he saw Edmund biting his lip. Without a second thought Ethan leaned up and kissed him, his other hand coming up to grasp Edmund’s shoulder. His lips were slightly chapped, probably from the dry desert air and he tasted of liquor and firewood, an almost peppery smell of the wild dunes he called home. Ethan pulled away with a light sigh and a soft chuckle. “For the hell of it,” he murmured, brushing another light kiss. He plopped back down on the ground glanced up at Edmund’s lips, surprised to see blood there. “Holy shit I think you’re bleeding,” he said, not realizing that it was his own blood that stained the Fallen’s lips. He brushed his thumb to wipe away the blood, confused. “Did you get hit? Who hit you? Are you hurt?” ooc| oooooh

[Edmund Conner]

Everything around Edmund felt as if it had vanished when he looked at Ethan. Well, the alcohol also gave him tunnel vision which had a huge part in his dilemma. When Ethan placed his lips upon his own everything went black as he closed his eyes and only focused on the sensation of lust, comfort, and excitement that coursed from his head to his toes. There also appeared to be a taste of blood which Edmund decided to look past since he was not sure if it was Ethan's or his own. All he wanted was for this feeling to last forever. Of course, nothing lasts forever and everything went back to normal when Ethan pulled away. Edmund thought it was cute of Ethan to do a pop kiss afterward. Even though he wanted to continue what they were doing Edmund knew it was wrong to take advantage of someone under the influence and held back. For a moment Edmund totally forgot about the taste of blood before Ethan pointed it out to him. There was no feeling of pain in any way. Alcohol slows pain levels for Edmund so he did not have a definitive answer for him. "No, I feel okay. How does your jaw feel," he questioned in a concerned tone. Impulsively Edmund just plopped to the left side of Ethan and adjusted himself so he was laying on his side facing toward Ethan while resting the side of his head onto his hand. "So, tell me how this Ring thing works. You're a Fulsi. I'm a Fallen. Are we allowed to meet?" Despite the fact that Edmund did not know Ethan very well he still wanted to see him. This man was the first person he connected with and wanted to hold onto that. Whether or not they became a couple was not important. Edmund was not even sure how to be a couple in the Menagerie to begin with. All he knew was that he craved to be around Ethan so he planned on making that happen one way or another. "Everything is so confusing here. I freakin' shot electricity out of my hand." The Fallen Scout let out a small sigh and bummed himself out a little bit with all the thoughts of maybe not being able to see Ethan again. "If you'd like we can be rebellious and meet back at the Speakeasy again. We at least know where that is." "What do you think?"

[Ethan Graff]

“You got decked by the Carna lady. Or was that me?” He paused, the occurrences in the speakeasy already fading in his memory. All he could clearly recall was Edmund’s smile and the fact that he was now Hero. He had the vague recollection of getting punched, or someone getting punched, though to be fair everyone had been getting punched down there. So who was to know? Ethan rubbed a hand over his chin, but everything was awash in a pleasant numbness. “Numb,” he replied at last. “I think this is the part where we’re supposed to say ‘I’ll feel that in the morning’ or something ‘long those lines.” He paused when Edmund rolled off him and rocked back and forth once before tipping himself over on his side so he was facing Edmund. “Rings are like families. Well, more like gangs. Gang families. So nah, we’re not really supposed to, y’know, meet. Not good to fraternize with the enemy, even though our Rings ain’t…head to head right now, so to speak.” He paused, stretching out his heavy limbs. “We all got friends outside the Ring, I think, a lot more than people would assume,” Ethan said. “But really if you think on it, it’s probably better not to make friends with people you might one day have to fight. It puts you in a tough spot, compromises your loyalty. In the long run these relationships come back to bite you, nine times outta ten. ‘Ve seen it happen tons of times.” Ethan sighed, rubbing at his eyes. “But I like you, Hero. And I’m a believer in kismet and I feel that we were destined to be friends. It might be the booze talking, but hey. What’s the harm in meeting?” He leaned up so he was resting on his elbow and offered his hand for Edmund to shake. “We’ll meet here in a week or so around…noon. Ya dig?” ooc| nyaarholnsdf,a,sdp

[Edmund Conner]

There was an odd sense of irony when Ethan said he felt numb. For Edmund that was quite a good portion of his motives when he decided to travel to the Speakeasy. Luckily, he did not need the alcohol to feel numb since Ethan made Edmund feel just a little bit better."Feel it in the morning? Not even quite sure where that is..." After he said that the Fallen realized how dumb that sounded. "When! The word I was looking for was when," he corrected himself as soon as possible. The Moonshine hit him just a little bit again which he most definitely did not expect. 'Oh well. Ugh.' Listening to Ethan speak about the rings Edmund tried as hard as he could to wrap his head around all of it. 'Gang Families. Enemy bad. Sunshine's exposed stomach... Dammit!' Normally, Edmund could focus and absorb the information with no problem. In this moment he really wanted to truly understand everything and he prayed that he would remember this throughout the hangover he expected to get. 'Rings are a total bitch. Gotchya,' he reminded himself hoping that would be the trigger point to remind him. Edmund blushed a little bit when Ethan said he liked him and felt a little discouraged when Ethan used the word friend. "I don't see the harm in meeting. Maybe we could become pretty close. Anything seems possible in this place" The Fallen Scout still felt grateful that Ethan would go out of his way just to meet again. 'Maybe there's hope.' Even if nothing more came out of it Edmund was just glad to have a connection with somebody in the Menagerie. With a smile and a wink he replied, "We'll meet at noon in seven days. I can dig it." ------------------------------------- OOC - I THINK WE DID IT! Spoken Thoughts

[Dionysus]

THREAD IS COMPLETED!

Hope you enjoyed if you read it!