let's fast forward to 300 takeout coffees later

[emotioning]

[ Tipsy Thursdays, at her favorite local college bar, The Electric Bao, are a highlight of her week.

She's extra grateful to be going out this time, with midterms past her and a very full schedule in the coming week. Said schedule is a problem for a future version of herself, though, as she intends to get very giggly drunk, dance with her girlfriends, and cap off the night eating cheap noodles around the corner from her flat. Her phone chimes out as a flurry of group texts go off and she pauses curling her bangs to look down at the conversation blobs, a bunch of bouncing "typing" dots flickering off and on. Laughing at the cat gif demanding where r u hoes???, she finishes the curl on her hair, picks up her phone and her purse, and makes her way to the door.

Along the way, she checks her reflection, smoothing out her skirt and double checking she had her wallet and keys. Satisfied with all those things, she pulls on modest heels and a leather jacket, tapping out a message to the rowdy group chat to let them know she's on her way. Door pulled shut and locked, she takes the shortcut through the nearest alley to the busier street a couple blocks up, feeling the stress of the week slough off as she blinks against the neon glow of the nightlife, the occasional bass reverb settling through her bones as she passes by clubs.

Tucked between a retro game shop and a dental office, The Electric Bao is the same as it's been for at least a decade, glossy wooden door creaking in a familiar way. Immediately, she spots the small gathering of her friends, at the one end of the bar that Ming Xia got here early to try and claim. It's not yet too loud in the bar, with the night just starting to kick off, and their excited greetings fill the space.

By the time everyone has shown up and settled, the bar is in fuller swing, the music loud in her ears, and her two drinks infusing her whole body with a pleasant warmth. She lets Jia Ling pull her into a dance (and then another, and another after that), before she heads back to her seat for some water and a shot. As she's leaning onto the bar top to flag down Richie, the bartender, the sight lines clear for the first time that night. And in so doing, she spots the obvious foreigner, at first amused he managed to find this place instead of ending up at one of the tourist bars further up the strip.

Her second thought, as Richie deposits her water glass and alcohol, is he looks like he's by himself. The third thought, which collides with her asking Richie what the tourist is drinking, is that he's extremely cute, with his brown curls and long lashes. When she gets her answer–with a bonus tip, he's Kerch–she puts another of the same on her tab, downing her shot and winking over at the stranger when his drink is delivered. ]

Comments

[motioning]

[ the last year had been something of a blur. between graduating law school, taking the bar, passing the bar, and the deaths of his parents within months of one another, tomassen felt he was entitled to a well-earned vacation.

it wasn't as if the deaths of his parents was a surprise, necessarily -- they had had tomassen when they were likely much too old to have one. an elder brother died in an accident far before tomassen was born, so tomassen was something of a surprise, he imagines. and his parents had been nothing but zealously overprotective and warm, which was both a blessing and a curse. tomassen didn't quite know what to do with his newfound freedom, now.

at any rate, between the chaos of suddenly managing a massive estate, becoming an attorney, and having to bury both of his parents within three months, he felt he was entitled to a break. a gap year, if you would. and with his father's firm in safe-keeping, well-managed and an oiled machine until his return, tomassen elected to travel.

first, he had gone to ravka. a delightful change from dreary ketterdam, with bright houses and rich cultural history. he thinks he had far more fun being drawn into a suli performance for the evening than he did amongst the impressive museums of the capital, but it was still a trip well worth having. from ravka he traveled to novyi zem, enjoying the beaches and the rich food. and finally, the last leg of his trip landed himself in the distant land of shu, where he had elected to explore the city and wind up where he wound up.

which is why is he in the electric bao. something of a dive bar, as he finishes his drink, where actual people his own age came to enjoy themselves. he thinks his mother would die of disapproval if she knew he was wandering about the seedier parts of the shu capital without any real plan, and tomassen smiles to himself before nudging his drink away, only to be served another by the friendly bartender.

he blinks, brow furrowing in confusion -- had he ordered another? but the mysterious benefactor of said drink is soon made obvious -- a beautiful woman just down the bar that he had been watching (not in a creepy way, he convinces himself) dance earlier. she had long legs and a brilliant smile, the cut of her skirt tantalizing, and he hadn't worked up the nerve to ask her if he could buy her a drink. overthinking everything, his modus operandi, had gotten in the way. but it seems she had beat him to the punch of introducing herself.

he considers that before picking up his drink and stepping away from the bar, moving down a few spaces to slide in next to her, leaning forward so she could hear over the music: ]

Thank you for the drink.

[ it's said in relatively decent shu, but there's a pause before tomassen laughs, resting his hip against the bar with something of a sheepish grin before switching to Kerch. ]

I'm afraid that's the extent of my Shu, so I hope to the gods you speak Kerch, else this will be a very short-lived endeavor.