#02: Year-Round Absorbed Curiosity
With an exhale of satisfaction, Merry handed off the flask. At this unique offering, Renko brimmed with a childlike curiosity.
– "Your turn."
The physicist raised it to her lips and drank as unhesitatingly as her partner. But, unlike her partner, at first contact the liquid burned her throat and triggered a painful cough.
– "Wow. Just like an oni, this is strong…"
She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and passed the drink back to its earlier owner.
– "Done already?"
– "No way. We're just taking turns, for fairness's sake."
They took turns in this manner, and quickly lost count of how many rounds had passed. It would be clear in time that the brew was mysterious in ways beyond its flavor; it almost seemed as if the container had no bottom– or else, whenever it was empty, it immediately refilled.
– "How curious…"
– "Hic… This stuff is amazing…!"
Merry had begun the night more wide awake than Renko. Now, the alcohol had appeared to cast a renewed spell of energy on the latter, while contrarily having a calming and drowsy effect on the former. In their exaggerated conditions, they had ultimately become more like themselves.
Despite all efforts to share the effects equally, with each gulp Renko's cheeks were reddening exponentially faster.
– "Oh my, I never pegged you for a bottle fairy."
– "A what?"
– "A party girl who can't stop drinking once she starts."
Renko laughed extravagantly, and waved her hand in casual dismissal of the charge.
– "Don't be ridiculous! I'm not even drunk yet…!"
Her clearly drunken voice rang out loud enough to draw stares from the neighboring tables. Merry stifled a smirk as Renko carelessly tossed back her head over the top of her chair and stared into space.
– "I don't know, don't you think we've had enough?"
– "What a time for you to wanna set boundaries! Let's eat, drink, and be–"
Suddenly distracted, Renko gasped and pointed a shaking finger straight up to the ceiling.
– "Merry, look up there!"
Fairies are creatures whose simple brains are amused by small humor, and who forget information as soon as it leaves their frame of reference.
Alcohol sometimes has the interesting power to turn humans into creatures like fairies.