Disclaimer: Suikoden, Ranam 1/2 concept: Not Mine.

Note: Ok, so with this story I'm beating a horse to death, but I figure it was the best way to explain the curse. (Shrugs) And I don't drink, so I don't know much on drinking contest, so if it sound out right bogus...I don't know what to tell ya. P.S. I'm not all waysgood with titles, so this one might not make as much sense as I hoped.

Wetting the Whistle in More Ways Then One

"So…what is this curse?"

"Can you possible not talk with your mouthful, Viktor?" Flik pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes his head. He, Catherine, Jason and Viktor sat in the restaurant having dinner. Viktor had taken a big bite of a chicken leg.

"At least he's quick to the punch." Catherine says before she takes a sip of milk. She hears Viktor swallow hard. Catherine was about to say something when an all too familiar voice comes ringing to their ears.

"Siiir Fliiik." Nina comes busting into the restaurant.

"Oh no." Flik groans as he slides down in his chair.

"I know how you feel." Catherine pats his shoulder.

"How would you…? Oh yeah."

"You seem awfully friendly with my Sir Flik." Nina comes to their table, her hands on her hips. "What is your deal with him?"

"What's it to you?" Catherine looks at the little blonde.

"He's my boyfriend."

"I thought Clik was your boyfriend."

"Clik is a spy. I don't date spies."

"You don't date me either." Flik says, waving a hand to shoo her away.

"Oh, don't talk that way to me." Nina whines.

"Why don't you leave him alone?" Catherine asks.

"Why don't you stay out of this?" Nina retorts back.

"Don't you talk that way to her." Flik shoots out of his chair and glares down at Nina.

"S…Sir Flik." Nina was taken back. "How could you talk to me like that?" She turns her back to him and falls on to her knees, hugging herself. "How could a sweet man speak in such a tone?"

"I didn't know dinner came with a show." Catherine tips her glass towards Nina and Flik before taking another sip.

"You…" Nina jumps to her feet and glares at Catherine. "This is all your fault. You want to take him from me."

"And why would I want to do that?" Catherine blinks at her innocently. That steamed Nina and she looks around for something. "For your information, I'm…" Catherine was cut short when Nina grabbed a pitcher of ice water from one of the waitress walking by and throws it on Catherine. "Eeek…"

"You little brat!" Flik yells at Nina. He grabs a napkin to help wipe Catherine's face, when he stops. Viktor drops the chicken leg he held and Jason's mouth hangs open showing the food he was munching on. Everyone else in the restaurant just stared

"It's he spy." Nina cried.

"She's…he's…" Flik didn't know what to say. He looks at where his sister was sitting. There sat…him, only dressed in red. "That' person is not a spy." He points at Clik.

"What just happen?" Viktor choked out.

"This is the curse." Clik sighs. "When I'm hit with cold water, I turn into a guy. When I'm hit with warm water, I turn back into my original form."

"How is that even possible?" Jason asked.

"Don't know." Clik shrugs. "I fell in a pond that was called the 'Drown Man'."

"The 'Drown Man'?" Flik sits down and looks at his now twin 'brother'.

"The tour guide said that some man drowned in that pond about…what was it? Uh…2,000 years ago and anything that falls in to the pond takes the body of a man."

"So if I were to do something like this." Viktor turns to the table behind him where Zamza and Hanna sat. He asked for their pot of hot water and pours it on to Clik. "You turn into a woman."

"That's about the sizes of it." Catherine brushes her bangs out of her face. "The annoying thing about this, besides the changing with water, is my hair length. I go from long hair in woman mode and short hair in man mode."

"Ok. This is different." Viktor laughed. Since the fun was over, everyone went back to eating and Flik managed to shoo Nina off.

"So why didn't you jumped into the pond of the 'Drown Woman' to take off the curse." Jason asks.

"Because the ponds are not labeled and there is like about a 1,000 ponds there." Catherine wrings out her shirt.

"Why didn't the guide tell you which one it was…more importantly, why didn't he stop you?" Flik looks at her.

"Don't know. I think he gets a kick out of watch how stupid we martial artists are." Catherine gets up from the table. "I'm going to go change into some dry clothes." She tells the three men. As she walks out the door, a bucket of water comes down on her and they hear Nina sigh. Clik pops his head back into the restaurant. "Correction. I'm going to take a hot bath and then change into some dry clothes. I'll know where to meet you later."

Later At The Tavern

"So who's up for a night of hard drinking?" Viktor rubs his hands together. "I have both drinking buddies back, nothing could spoil this night."

"I know someone who's not." Jason points a thumb at Catherine. She and Flik changed back into their usual clothing.

"That's what you think." Catherine looks slyly at him. "I was thinking of having a drinking game. I have a pouch full of potch that wouldn't mind some company"

"You?" Jason raises an eyebrow. "Mr. I-like-weak-wine."

"Hey, if you can't keep up with me…" Catherine shrugs.

"Oh, you don't know me or big V here." Jason puts a hand Viktor's shoulder and pats the big man's stomach. "This stomach could hold more liquor than you wouldn't believe."

"Then why don't you put her potch where your mouth is?" Catherine pulls out a large roll of potch and sets it on the table. "5 potch per shot of whiskey. You pay a 5 potch and take a shot. Ante is 10 potch."

"You're on." Jason brings out what potch he had. Flik and Viktor look at each other before shrugging. The four sit down at the round table. Leona comes sashaying over with two bottles of whiskey and four shot glasses. Before they start Catherine does something that raises a couple eyebrows. The young woman brings her two index fingers together and intertwines the rest of her fingers together. She points her index fingers in the air and brings them to her nose. With her eyes closed, her hands begin to shake. Then she opens her eyes suddenly and slams her hand onto the table.

"Ok, ready to go." Catherine sighs.

"What was that?" Viktor asks flatly.

"Maybe she was praying that she won't pass out after the second shot." Jason laughs. Catherine looks over to Flik and he looks back, shaking his head. First to take a shot was Flik. He puts down 15 potch, takes his shot, and takes a deep breath. The circle goes right, so it was Viktor's turn. He puts down his potch and takes his shot like it was nothing. Next was Jason and he does the same. Now it came to be Catherine's turn. She picks up the shot glass in her left hand and held her right hand sideways at chest level. She shoots the whiskey and as she lets out a breath, she squeezes her right hand close. It shakes with how tight she closed it.

"What are you doing?" Jason asks.

"I'll tell you later, if I feel like it." Catherine turns to Flik for his turn. Every time it came to Catherine's turn, she would do the same movements. People wondered why, but they soon got more into the contest and didn't care any more. They go around in the circle at least 10 times before Flik has to back out. He pushes his chair back and puts his hand up in defeat. 3 more shots later and Jason had to do the same thing. Now it was between Viktor and Catherine, neither looked like they were going to back down. After 20 shot later, neither still looked like they were going to back down.

"You do know I have to close soon." Leona reminds everyone.

"No one is going to drink me under the table." Viktor glares at Catherine to intimated her. She returns the look.

"I haven't even felt the buzz yet." Catherine smiles and looks over at the bar. "I have idea. A sudden death thing." She motions Leona to come over to her and she whispers in her ear. Leona nodded and went over to the bar. She ducks behind it, to comes back with a large bottle and two large brandy snifters. Leona ours the brandy all the way to the top of each glass. "Its Forest Village's best and hardest brandy. 50 potch for the glass. We down it and then at the count of three, stand for 20 seconds. The first one to fall before the 20 seconds are up, forfeits. You up for it?"

"Always like a challenge." Viktor throws his 50 potch, snatches up the glass and raises it to Catherine. She throws her potch, takes her glass and raises it to him. They clinked glasses before they both start drinking it. When they finished, they slam their glasses down and Leona counts to three. On three both Viktor and Catherine jump up so fast that they knocked their seats to the floor. They stand there looking at each other. Viktor folds his arms on his chest and Catherine cross her wrists in front of her chest. Her head bowed as she closes her eyes. Everyone in the room count the seconds. Just as they were about to say twenty, Viktor legs give out and he slides down into a cross-legged seat. He looks up at her with a drunken look on his face. "Good stuff." He laughs.

"I know." Catherine collects her winnings. She put a 100 potch on the table and goes to walk out. Viktor gets some help off the floor and he looks at her. Catherine walked a straight-line pass him and he stops her.

"How is it you're not even drunk?" Viktor asks her. She looks at him and motions him to turn his ear close to her. She brings her lips close to his ear and lets out a large belch. Viktor grabs his ear and recoils back. Catherine smiles and walks out the tavern. Viktor looks to Flik for answer.

"Mind over matter." Flik says.

"She will's herself not to get drunk?" Viktor raises an eyebrow.

"Pretty much. She learned it from her martial arts teacher. Tried to teach me once, but I never got it."

"So we got duped." Jason rubs his tired eyes.

"Pretty much." Flik shrugs. "But I think there is going to be more payment than some potch tomorrow."