Xigbar stared into his mug of brew. It was a very good beer, dark and thick like beer should be. He took a long pull and sighed in pleasure at the malty taste.
"I don't know how you can drink that stuff." His companion commented, draining his own glass of wine. Xigbar sneered.
"Limp wristed wine snob. Bet you like the cock too, Xaldin." Xaldin snorted, and took a long drink directly from the bottle.
"You would know, cocksucker. We're only slept together, what, a dozen times?" Xigbar decided not to point out it had been far more than that. They had fallen into bed together once after a particularly hard mission, and it had just gone on from there. He wouldn't say they were in love… god no… but he and Xaldin were accustomed to each other.
In every way, they were a mercenary team. They had met up for that mission and never drifted apart. There had been no discussion, no words. Xigbar had just moved his stuff into Xaldin's apartment, one drunken night, and the other mercenary hadn't complained. When they had the money and inclination, they seduced the adventurous or hired a whore to share. The rest of the time, they fucked with each other between missions and drunken fun.
Xigbar thought it was a good life. Steady sex, good drink and he only had to do the work he chose. He and Xaldin had already established reputations as 'go to' men… men you could go to for anything. They'd done it all, from assassinations to finding wayward children. As long as it paid well. The only thing they didn't have was a retirement fund, and Xigbar grinned at the thought. Talumancers lived as long as aethalmages, so the likelihood of him needing a retirement fund was slim. And Xaldin was the type to keep going until someone shot him. Which was inevitable, when the reflexes started to go.
"So who are we going to fuck tonight?" Xaldin said conversationally, and Xigbar squinted at him over his mug.
"Each other?" They were currently at low ebb in the financial stream. The last mission had gone poorly, and they'd had to settle for the partial payment they'd gotten up front. Which was fair enough, Xigbar supposed. It hadn't been their fault, but daddy dearest wasn't going to pay more for his daughter in the condition they'd found her. Too little, too late.
"I mean, if we had any choice in the matter." Xaldin gestured to the people wandering by in the club. It wasn't really a bad club. It catered to the foot soldiers of organized crime and the semi-respectable freeshooters like himself and Xigbar. So the whores on display weren't half bad, even if they weren't top dollar. And the other mercs could be damn interesting.
"Oh, theoretically? Hmmm." Xigbar eyed the room and settled on one particular redhead. "That girl looks hot. I'd like to have her in my sheets." She was clearly a whore, too, from the revealing clothing she was wearing. Xaldin looked at her dubiously. He was drunk and the beer goggles were firmly in place… but still…
"Bit chubby, isn't she?" He didn't think the revealing clothing was being that kind. Xigbar grinned.
"More cushion for the pushin'." He said, and Xaldin coughed on his wine.
"Every time I think I've heard everything, you find a new way to appall me… hmm. That guy looks interesting. Shit, I think he's even looking at us." Xaldin belched. "He must have horrible taste." They were both drunk as hell, and it showed, so most of the other mercs were staying away. And the guy Xaldin was looking at was clearly not a whore. He was tall, with long blond hair, green eyes and a cool, thoughtful expression. His clothing was a cut above most of the people in the club, and he was indeed looking at them.
"Looks like a cold fish to me," Xigbar muttered, taking another deep drink of his beer. Xaldin grinned.
"Those can be the best when you unthaw them. Wonder if he's a biter? Ohh, shh, he's coming this way." The blond haired man was indeed heading their way. He stopped at their table, and Xigbar noticed he was wearing a black choker with a rose on it.
"You would be Xigbar and Xaldin." He said, his voice low and slightly arrogant. Xaldin eyed him with interest, and Xigbar sighed to himself. Xaldin did like the ones with an edge. But the man snapped something onto the table, and Xigbar blinked at it. A business card? "My… master would like to speak to you. Clearly you're far too drunk tonight, but the hours he will be available and the location of his manor are on the card."
"Oh? And we should jump when you say jump?" Xigbar said, completely unimpressed. The man smiled at him, a quick flash of sharp white teeth.
"No. You should jump to visit the man who's willing to pay you bags of money." Xigbar couldn't find anything to object to in that… he was very fond of bags of money… and Xaldin picked up the card, making it disappear.
"What's your name?" Xaldin asked, and the man flashed him that quick smile again.
"Vexen. And by the way," he said as he turned away. "I am a biter." Xaldin's mouth dropped open… how could the man have heard him, halfway across the room? Xigbar's attention sharpened, and despite the drink he finally picked up on what he should have gotten in the first place.
"Aethalmage." He muttered to Xaldin, who shut his mouth with a snap.
"Well, shit. There goes a good idea." Xaldin made it a habit not to play with aethalmages. They could be unpleasant in so many unexpected ways. Xigbar was just glad he hadn't known what a talumancer was when they'd first taken up together, or Xaldin probably wouldn't have let him into his bed. Although from the longing look Xaldin was sending after the departing aethalmage, Xigbar wondered if he might make an exception. Xigbar smirked to himself, finishing off his beer.
He doubted the aethalmage was really interested. It might be interesting to watch Xaldin make a fool of himself.