The sweet scent of liquor lingered in the room with every exhale of the evening crowd. Their chapped lips would tightly press against the rim of the glass bottle, yearning for companionship. They were deprived as they were desperate, as their sophisticated speech turned into a muddled stream of incoherent slurs once the pretty girl across the room denied their advances. And the group of women sitting by the window, leaned in closer, whispering amongst each other as they held their drinks like a rosary against their chest.
Fresh faced, doe eyed, and oh so trusting. Almost like a certain green haired nymphet he knew...
Bado frowned as he stared down at the empty bottles in front of him. If it wasn't for her, he probably wouldn't be there in the first place.
"Unbelievable", he snorted, impulsively hitting the cap of the liquor bottle against the table. He wiped the fizzing foam away as the corners of his mouth lifted into a smile. The stand in princess was a great asset to his bank account, as much as he didn't like to admit it. Hell, who was he trying to fool, the damn kid was starting to grow on him.
A soft voice distracted him from his thoughts. "Are you gonna finish that?"
Bado didn't have to glance up to know who it was. "Speak of the devil", he said with a lopsided grin. "You lock up?"
She nodded her head in response, steadying herself against the edge of the table.
He motioned for her to sit, and she complied, much to his amazement.
Almost immediately, the girl swiped the bottle in front of her and drained it of its contents. Her lips twisted into a grimace as the bitter liquid settled into her throat and dribbled down her chin.
"You might wanna...here" he began as he handed her a napkin, "You got something in your chin there."
She smiled sheepishly. "Thanks." She rubbed her hand against her chin, letting the napkin fall to her lap. He looked at her, taking note of her glossed over eyes and the curling of her lip. If she was consumed with nervousness, she didn't show it. She leaned in closer, twirling her mint green hair around her finger with a devilish grin.
"How many more do you think I can chug? Give me a number, I'm feeling risky."
"A lightweight like you?" he laughed, "One's your limit by the looks of it."
Frey rolled her eyes, "Wait a second." She stood from her seat, stumbling a bit as she waltzed straight towards the bar. Moments later she returned with an arm full of assorted liquor bottles.
His eyes widened, "There's no way you can drink all that."
"Is that a challenge I hear?"
"No. No challenge." Bado crossed his arms, surprised by his paternal tone. "If you wanna drink, go ahead no one's stopping you. Just know your limit."
"Suit yourself", she shrugged her shoulders slightly and carefully placed the bottles on the table. "I can finish these myself anyway."
He laughed slightly. "Good luck I guess."
"Have a little faith in me". Her eyes twinkled with mirth as she unscrewed the lid from the jewel toned wine bottle.
Where did this self-assured kid come from? This wasn't the tongue tied and flustered girl from before; stumbling through her words and knocking down item displays in his shop.
She was poised, mature even. This version of Frey exuded an aura of sexual appeal that demanded to be seen. Completely uncharacteristic of the doe eyed girl he knew.
He quickly shifted his gaze at the bottle she cradled and raised his eyebrow. Oh that's why.
He flashed her a small smile before she reached over and grabbed his arm, startling the blacksmith. Her touch felt clammy and cold. As he looked down to look at her, he noticed her smile falter and then fade from his sight.
"Listen", she took a shaky breath, twirling her finger around the linen table cloth. "What am I to you?"
He smiled wryly, unsure of how to respond. "You're good company."
"Don't give me that."
"You're a friend, does that make you feel better?" He tensed as he saw her body slink towards him.
She laced her fingers with his and kissed his hand. The blacksmith pulled away as the green haired nymphet erupted in a fit of laughter. "Stay a little longer."
She held two fingers up in the air and brought the rim of the glass to her lips.
If it weren't for the alcohol, he would have felt sorry for the girl. But even now looking at her disheveled state, he couldn't help but pity her.
She had expected something more from the blacksmith: affection, love, and adoration. All things he couldn't give her. But he had led her on to believe he could fulfill her needs in order to satisfy his own. Suddenly the weight of her velvet pouch in his pocket felt too heavy to bear.
Bado took a deep breath and shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "Fine. Five minutes. That's it."
Frey's eyes flickered as a smile spread through her lips. "Okay", she whispered, "Okay."
As the blacksmith resigned himself into his seat, he noticed the swarm of bodies within the room dissipate out into the night. All that remained was the company of a babbling girl, unaware of her naivety and the wave of nausea that was to befall her.
A/N: I've been in a funk with this to be honest. I feel like I've just been writing the same thing but through different situations, if that makes sense. If you guys have any ideas or suggestions for the next chapters, I'd love to hear them! Thank you once again!