For Petra. With thanks to delgaserasca, my wonderful beta reader, without whom I would never have learnt how to use a semi colon.

INITIATION.
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"Fuck your irrigation theory when the pubs are open."
-- Avaric, pg 112.

The room was smoky, noisy and dimly lit. Boq sat up at the bar, sandwiched between Fiyero and Avaric. His hands wrapped around yet another glass and he drained it in just a few gulps. He blinked sharply, before looking to Avaric.

"I'm glad you invited me," he told his friend. Or at least, that's what Avaric deciphered Boq's drunken slur as. Fiyero grinned and bit his lip, trying not to chuckle. At that moment, disco lights flashed out in every direction from a fixture on the ceiling. Avaric glanced at his watch.

"I think it's time we got out of here," he announced, handing the bartender a small wad of notes to cover the expense of their drinks. He and Fiyero hopped down off their stools, made their way through the crowd, waiting at the door for Boq to follow. When he didn't, Avaric turned to his friend, rolled his eyes and they headed back to the bar. They found Boq slumped over, head resting on his arms, snoring lightly.

Fiyero found himself stifling laughter as he grabbed one of Boq's arms. Between them, Fiyero and Avaric managed to pull Boq into a standing position and carried him out of the pub and onto the green. Though not drunk, they were by no means sober, and with impaired judgement, they sat down under a tree. By the time they had got themselves comfortable on the hard ground, Boq had awoken and had begun singing rather loudly, if a little unintelligibly.

"Someone's merry," Fiyero remarked with a snicker. Boq slurred an incomprehensible answer.

As Boq continued his noisy and tuneless tirade, Avaric leaned over slightly to talk to Fiyero. "So, what do you think of… Elphaba, is it?"

"She's certainly a character," Fiyero agreed. "I'm not sure what she's trying to achieve, though."

"Who says she's trying to achieve anything?"

"You've got the hots for her!" Fiyero chuckled, taking great delight in mocking his friend. Normally, the tables were turned and Avaric was the one doing the teasing.

"No, I haven't," Avaric defended himself quickly. "I just think she might genuinely want to be at Shiz."

"Of course," Fiyero replied. "Of course she does."

"Hey, look," Avaric exclaimed after a moment of quiet. He gestured to the man beside him. "The alcohol went to his head. Again."

Fiyero picked up a piece of twine that lay curled in the grass beside him. He dangled it from his fingers and grinned wickedly. Avaric stood, threw his head back and let out what Fiyero described as a cackle.

"Oh, this is too much fun."

Choking back laughter, Fiyero removed his friend's shirt and folded it neatly on the ground. Avaric removed Boq's trousers and folded them too. They jumped back slightly as Boq began to stir, but heaved simultaneous sighs of relief as he fell back into his alcohol-induced slumber. With the twine, Fiyero and Avaric tied Boq's hands together, and tied Boq himself to the tree. His feet hung loosely in the air, and Fiyero placed his folded clothes in a pile beneath them. Avaric pulled a magic marker from his pocket.

"No," Fiyero spluttered quietly. "We're not that cruel. Are we?"

Avaric grinned and pulled off the top.

Boq awoke some hours later, shortly after the sun had risen. He shuddered at the rancid taste in his mouth, the remnants of last night's alcohol binge hammering away at his head. He squinted against the morning sunlight and dared to look around. A few metres away, a group of students wandered past, giggling, some pointing and falling around helplessly.

He looked down and noticed his clothes piled neatly, shoes tied together on top of the stack. It was then that he realised he was indeed unclothed. And tied to the tree.

"Avaric?" He called meekly. "Fiyero? FIYERO?"