[Aq/Be/Oc] Week 216: Hangin' (On the Edge of a New Adventure)

[Valero]

Hangin'
(On the Edge of a New Adventure)

[4,117]

~ Starring ~

Val as Deni
Moon as Aeria
Dys as Ignis

---

​

The morning light flowing into Deni’s apartment brought no sign of life. Caesar’s rays reflected off a few empty bottles scattered across the floor. Cartons of leftover takeout food littered the small dining table next to the window, their scent masking that of the damp that stained the walls. Amidst the mess of the living room lay a short-feathered spurii, her feet hanging off the side of the two-seat sofa, slender frame covered by one of Deni’s long coats.

A few meters to the side, the door into the velen’s bedroom was ajar. The short enlil looked lost in the pelagian-sized double bed. It would have been comfortable for sleeping late into the morning, had someone remembered to close the curtains.

For all of those within the apartment, the previous night was one that would be remembered fondly, if they did remember it. The day that ensued, however, would not be. After such copious amounts of alcohol, all of them would likely regret their decision to drink so much as soon as they began to stir.

In a haze and with her head absolutely splitting, Aeria slowly and achingly dragged herself into consciousness, wondering why it was that her mouth tasted so strange and the light made her eyes hurt so much. It was only after a moment more that she recalled the copious consumption of alcohol that had occured on the previous evening. Various inchoate noises issued from her as she pushed Deni’s coat off and sat up from the sofa where she lay.

It took her a few more minutes to orient herself before she stumbled to her feet with her head throbbing. She made her way in the general direction of what looked to be the bathroom and slowly pushed the door open. The sight that greeted her eyes was unlike any she’d seen before. Deni lay, head resting on the porcelain rim of the toilet, naked and snoring loudly.

In spite of herself and her aching head, she began to snicker with laugher that couldn’t be contained. At this point, it began to erupt into actual ‘guffaws’ as she looked at the ridiculous sight of the velen.

As Aeria's laughter echoed through the apartment, the enlil ensconced in the bed began to stir. Her face twitched a bit, nose scrunching up as she slipped from the sweet grasp of sleep. She emitted soft groans as her eyelids fluttered open.

“What?” her voice came out as a hoarse whisper, her throat sore from being so loud the night before.

A rustling not too far off to her right alerted the avian woman to her familiar. She reached out with one hand to stroke Amicus’ leaves.

“Do you remember last night, buddy?”

The leafy mons infans rustled groggily and scooted closer before crawling onto her chest and settling down.

Ignis pulled a pillow over her face to block out the sunlight and sighed. Amicus rustled and stretched out comfortably. Relaxed, the pale woman began to doze lightly one more.

The sound of laughter jolted Deni awake. As soon as he realised what consciousness felt like, he loosed a long, deep groan. Then let his head fall onto the toilet seat again. His blue eyes gave the hysterical Aeria a sidelong look.

“What, you never seen a guy’s hanging fruit before?” he croaked through dry, cracked lips.

Aeria laughed. “It’s more your head on the toilet bowl as a pillow really. How could you not have at least made it to the bathtub or something afterwards? It’s so undignified for a hero to pass out like that.”

Webbed fingers grasped at his forehead as if it would help. Dizziness plagued his head while his stomach churned like it was about to empty itself any second. The velen managed a weak grin. Paired with his paler than usual complexion, it made him look unwell.

“Or perhaps you were hoping to see a certain kinner’s package instead?”

In spite of herself, Aeria turned red. “No! What the hell? What do you take me for?”

The problem was, as it happened, that she did find Dante interesting and had pretty much promised to see him again. She made herself focus on the situation at hand. “Anyways, isn’t it about time you got your head off of the crapper?”

“Couldn’t…”

He spat into the toilet and lifted his head upright with an effort.

“Can’t you just go grab my gun? I think I’m fine with dying right here.”

Ignis dozed happily until she was awakened once more by a familiar pressure just below her belly. She needed to pee badly.

“Ugh,” the pale woman groaned, dragging the pillow from her face.

Amicus crawled off of her chest to allow the feathery engineer to sit up gingerly, careful not to cause more intense nausea or throbbing in her skull. She dragged herself from the tangle of sheets and blankets, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. With a wide yawn, Ignis stood and stretched her arms above her head.

The mons infants climbed onto her back, gripping onto her feathers for purchase before his contractor shuffled towards the bathroom.

The scene before her stirred up more alertness. “Morning,” Ignis greeted the other two, rubbing at her eyes, “I didn't realize we'd taken anyone home.”

Her feathery brows furrowed as the enlil looked from Deni to Aeria, trying to remember what exactly happened after the three of them stumbled home.

Aeria turned, eyebrows raised at the hidden implication in what Ignis had said. “What? No, I just...I mean we didn’t...you just said I could crash here. N-nothing happened!”

For the first time since Aeria had found him, there was sign of life in Deni’s widening eyes.

The spurii’s cheeks were blazing red and she began to run over the events of the previous night in her mind. It was all so damnably blurred. She remembered dancing with Dante, many of Cicely's smooth cocktails going down and that was about it. She scratched her head and sighed before speaking in a quieter voice. “Or at least I don’t think it did…”

The blush remained on her face as she looked back between Deni and Ignis, feeling more than a little nervous now.

“No,” Deni laughed. His tone of voice was scandalised. “We couldn’t have… could we?”

The velen scratched at his forehead with one hand. He remembered… something. There was definitely kissing, heavy breathing, the lingering musk of alcohol - that made him feel like he was going to be sick. It was too dark for him to remember who it was, though.

“I’m pretty certain I would have remembered if all three of us had gotten down. That would have been difficult to forget.”

Deni climbed to his feet and lurched forward a few steps before he staggered against the bathroom wall. If he was even remotely embarrassed at being naked in front of Aeria, he certainly didn’t show it. It should have been odd to imagine Aeria as a romantic partner, especially after everything the three of them had gone through, but Deni was more open with his sexuality than most people. Despite her boyish frame, Deni did think she was pretty.

“What?” he asked Aeria suddenly. “You’ve stopped laughing. Is my naked body not so funny anymore?”

“I..uh...that is I don’t think it’s funny. I just..well...it...I mean I don’t like you that way. Well I...well I mean no offense. Your body is very nice..I mean in just the general sense of….bodies. Ignis’ is too but again...not in that way!”

By now the spurii was completely flustered. She didn’t really know where to look, so she settled for looking at Amicus because he was just a cute little tree person who was already naked and didn’t seem to possess any external signs of being any gender. Her cheeks were burning. Was it really possible that something had happened between them?

Just then, Ignis remembered why she had gotten up to begin with.

“Can we sort this out after I use the bathroom?” The rust feathered woman shuffled from foot to foot uncomfortably.

“Sure,” Deni responded with a wide grin. He was almost on the verge of laughing at the whole situation. “I think I have a few minutes of teasing Aeria still in me before I pass out or throw up again.”

He stumbled out of the bathroom alongside Aeria and as soon as Ignis had shut the door, he fell onto the sofa where his spurii friend had slept. He closed his eyes and exhaled heavily through his nostrils. Thumb and forefinger massaged his forehead, but did nothing to soothe his exhaustion, pounding headache or aching stomach.

“Do you need something to eat? Drink? What’s your hangover cure?” he asked Aeria, then glanced at the bathroom door and raised his voice to a hoarse shout. “You too, Iggy. Need any food or drink?”

“I don’t drink often enough to really have a hangover cure, but I wish I did have one. My head hurts!”

It wasn’t an exaggeration either. It felt like someone was testing an airship propellor in her brain, so intense was the throbbing in her head. She sat on the edge of the sofa and held her head in her hands before she looked up and over at Deni. “I once talked to a Borean mercenary who swore that the best cure for a hangover was a raw egg, twenty dashes of Paludian hot sauce and salt. Wanna try it?”

A smile danced over her face as she confronted her velen companion with this charming prospect and waited to see his reaction.

Deni’s face went white at the idea.

A few moments later, Ignis shuffled out of the bathroom looking a bit more awake. “Sounds good to me. Let's do it. There's eggs in the fridge and I think there might be some of that hot sauce, too.”

Amicus rustled from his spot, hanging on Ignis’ shoulder like some sort of baby monkey.

“Anyone want coffee?” the enlil continued, using her claws to preen her head feathers a bit.

“Yes!” Deni exclaimed before Ignis had even finished her sentence. “I’d swim to Boreas and back if it meant getting coffee.”

The velen sat up and lurched off the sofa, immediately regretting the movement as his stomach churned even worse than before. He meandered over to the fridge and opened the door, drawing out milk, eggs and a bright red liquid in a narrow bottle before he closed it again. He placed the items on the small kitchen surface next to him.

“Alright, Ignis can be coffee queen, I’ll be king of the hangover cure and Aeria…”

For a moment he thought about continuing the banter about who he had sex with last night, but perhaps that was a question for another time. Aeria looked uncomfortable enough as it was.

It must have been Ignis, he thought, as he cracked the eggs and separated them into three glasses.

“Well, you can be the princess, sitting there and looking pretty.”

Aeria grinned. “I am good at that. I can’t believe you’re actually going to make that stuff. However, if you drink it, I’ll drink it too. What do I have to lose?”

The three of them were more comfortable with each other now, each relaxing more easily despite the initial awkwardness. However the spurii was pretty sure that she would get a lot more awkward again once the topic of sex came up. She really hoped that it wouldn’t.

Ignis opened a cupboard and reached for the coffee while Aeria marvelled at their resolve to try the hangover cure. The can was a bit too high for Ignis to reach, so Amicus clambered up, using her arm as a ladder and stuck his head into the cupboard.

“That one,” Ignis told her companion.

The leafy familiar grabbed the can and retreated to the countertop.

“Thanks.” The enlil ruffled her companion's leaves before bending to search for a pot in the cabinets under the counter.

“If the cure doesn't taste all that good, then we can wash it down with coffee,” her voice sounded between the sounds of shuffling and clinking pans.

Deni cracked eggs consecutively into three glasses and then whisked, adding the rest of the ingredients in turn. He already felt like he was going to throw up again just looking at the horrid concoction. After a final stir, he passed the glasses around and smiled weakly at both of his companions.

“Well, like we say in Pelagia, huo meua fflufn hawr!”

When he received blank stares from both of them after speaking in his native tongue, he decided to explain.

“It means ‘good luck to us.’ So cheers!”

Briefly, Aeria wondered why it was that she’d suggested this idea, but it was too late for anything else now. She hoisted the glass, toasted her companions and shot the whole vile mess down. It was slimy and ridiculously spicy. The spurii suspected that it was meant to be be a distraction from the hangover and nothing else. She grimaced. “Vis-damn! I think that’s what makes those bloody Borean mercenaries so nasty! I’d be unpleasant if I drank that a lot too.”

Aeria looked with supplication at Ignis. “Please, please make something to get rid of this taste! I’m so sorry I suggested that now.”

Ignis downed the concoction quickly as possible, essentially pouring it into her throat. Still, remnants of the taste at the back of her throat made the enlil wrinkle her nose.

“I'm working on it,” the rust feathered woman assured her friend before glancing over to see how Deni had fared.

Even Amicus let out a wheeze at the displeasure and vague taste he felt through his link with Ignis.

The enlil filled the pot most of the way with water before setting it over the gas stove to boil. Amicus topped it off with a lid to speed up the process before pushing the tin of coffee towards his companion.

Thoughtlessly, Ignis pried it open with her claws.

“Some cure that was. I think I feel worse,” the avian grumbled. ” she rasped, coughing a few times. “Never met a Borean mercenary before, but I imagine the alcohol must’ve burned off their taste buds if they drink this on the regular.”

Amicus rustled in agreement.

Fortunately for the hungover trio, the water began to boil. Ignis scooped in a few hearty spoonfuls of coffee and stirred the mixture with a wooden spoon before turning down the flames under the pot. Meanwhile, her mons infans companion climbed atop her head to reach into the cupboards and pull out mugs, handing them to Ignis one by one.

After swallowing the contents of the glass whole, Deni slammed it down on the surface so hard he was surprised that he didn’t break it. The sliminess of the egg and heat of the Paludian sauce made for a disgusting combination. He cupped his hands around his mouth suddenly.

“Oh man, I think I’m gonna hurl again… wait…”

A short burp escaped him.

“...no, I’m okay. By the Vis, Aeria! I think that concoction has a better chance of killing me off than any daemon. We should have just ordered some of those deep-fried Songen buns.”

As if he had just remembered something important, the velen suddenly lumbered over to the bedroom. He returned with a pair of teal shorts on, finally showing a glimmer of decent modesty. He held a crumpled slip of paper in his hand, which he placed on the small table, next to the pile of leftover fast food.

Deni stared longingly over Ignis’ shoulder at the brewing coffee.

“Is it ready yet? I’ve got something to tell both of you and I think we’re going to need a good brew for this one.”

The simmering coffee was darkening in color as the brew gained strength. It wasn't quite dark enough to indicate it would have any more flavor than colored water, but the final portion of their cure was getting there.

“A few more minutes,” Ignis assured her friends. Her eyes flickered over to the velen curiously.

Aeria looked dubiously at Deni. “Oh that doesn’t sound good. Don’t tell me there are more Vis-damned daemons coming and we’re going to have to fight them? I’ve had enough of that lark for a lifetime.”

“Not exactly,” Deni responded with a grin.

Although she was joking around, the spurii hoped that he wasn’t about to unleash some epically bad news on them. Danger and intrigue seemed to follow the velen around wherever he went. All of the crazy moments with the Axeman remained in her memory and she doubted very much that she’d forget that experience any time soon.

The delicious smell of brewing coffee was already making her feel better. Drinking it would complete the cure.

“Well now you have to tell us,” Ignis decided. “The coffee is ready.”

The enlil took the lid off the pot and expertly poured the dark brew into mugs Amicus had arranged on the counter for her.

“Sugar anyone?” The pale woman would have offered cream as well, but had a feeling no one could stomach it just then. Ignis’ claws looped through the handle of one mug, bringing it to her lips for a small sip at the near-burning hot liquid inside.

The velen shook his head slightly.

“Don’t you think I’m sweet enough?”

He lifted one of the remaining mugs and passed it to Aeria, gesturing towards the small bowl of sugar on the kitchen surface. Then he grasped the crumpled paper from the table and flattened it out with his hands.

“Now, I know that since Duilius established the Societas he’s been working behind the scenes a lot. He’s been a busy little man, meeting with only the Vis know who. So it’s no surprise that we haven’t seen him in recent months. But then I found this.”

The sheet of paper was actually a poster with a large writing in a flowing script.

Missing!

Laicar male, twenty years in age. Around five-foot seven in height with brown hair and green eyes, may answer to the name of Duilius Fortis. No easily identifiable features outside of being loud and possibly surprisingly irritating. If you have any information please speak to the proprietor of The Vitae.​

Deni took his mug and blew on the steam to cool it as he let the other two analyse the poster.

“He’s gone missing?!” Aeria realized with a jolt that she hadn’t thought about Kincaid for months and even felt vaguely guilty. She’d always liked him and after all he’d helped her when no one else had been able to help. Now if something had happened to him, she’d never be able to forgive herself.

“Do you know anything else about what happened, Deni?”

The pelagian shook his head.

Ignis looked to Deni as well, a frown marring her formerly cheery expression. She took a large gulp of her coffee, the rich and bitter flavors washing away the remnants of egg and hot sauce from her tongue. Even with the warmth spreading through her chest, there was a knot of worry forming.

The enlil scanned the wanted poster for any other details. “When did you find out?”

Deni sipped his coffee. A satisfied sigh escaped his lips as he brought the mug away from his face, though his smile slipped to a frown.

“A few weeks ago,” he replied. “I had to be sure that someone wasn’t just overreacting. He disappears without warning all the time and sometimes for weeks, but if someone has gone to the effort and hanging these up, then it’s worth investigating. And there’s the snag.”

The velen caressed his forehead with thumb and forefinger.

“Either of you remember I mentioned an expedition into Arctoa last year? Well, the merchant running it has finally been given the legal approval to do it. I know it couldn’t come at a worse time, but I owe this guy. A lot.”

The conflict within Deni was obvious from his increasingly agitated expression.

“If it were anyone else, I’d ditch them in a heartbeat. If you guys like, you can start investigating while I’m gone and you can give me the details when I get back.”

Aeria, too, was conflicted. She didn’t want to leave Deni alone to travel to Arctoa, but she was worried about what might be going on with Kincaid. She sighed and took a sip of her coffee, looking from the velen to Ignis and back again. Normally she was fairly decisive but this threw a wrench into the works. She sighed again.

“I...don’t know what to do? I feel like Ignis and I should be with you when you go to Arctoa. I do owe Kincaid an awful lot though. He saved my ass more than once. Shit I don’t know what to do! Anyone got any suggestions? Ignis?”

Being in this position was something she hated, but she didn’t resent Deni for that fact. It was simply a matter of making a choice that was almost too hard to make.

“We can't let you do something like that alone, Deni.”

The enlil's hands tightened around the mug in her grasp. “We're in this together,” she confirmed with a tight nod. “However, that doesn't mean we can't get started on this latest mystery.”

Deni couldn't help but smirk into his mug at the enlil’s comments.

Ignis took a pensive sip of her coffee. Her eyes lit up despite the hangover induced grogginess from. Before.

“What if we find that Laermont guy? He knows Professor Craxtus. He's a good detective and would know where to look better than any of us. We can check back with him after this expedition.”

The velen sighed as he brought his lips away from the mug. With the coffee half gone he was starting to feel a little better.

Deni recognised the names that were mentioned from previous conversations with Aeria, though he did not recall ever meeting them.

“That actually sounds like a good idea,” he said with a grin. His eyes remained fixed on the black liquid as he swirled the mug around in his hands. “This Laermont. Is he trustworthy? Reliable?”

Aeria simply nodded her head firmly. “Yes. He was the only person in the entire Repertum constabulary that wasn’t trying to frame me for the supposed murder of Craxtus. I have no idea where he is, but I can try to find him or get a message to him. It would leave us free to go on the expedition to Arctoa!”

Now she was starting to feel like there might be some positive movement. Perhaps things wouldn’t look quite so bleak now. There was possibility and that was better than the constraints with which she was formerly concerned. She smiled at her two companions.

“It seems, my dear friends, that we have the start of a plan?”

“I believe we do,” Ignis agreed, her rust colored feathers puffing up. “I can see if that radio I built into Cora can still send messages to the professor.”

The enlil swirled the coffee in her mug before taking a healthy swig of the bitter, aromatic liquid. Gulping it down, Ignis raised her drink.

“To the start of another adventure!” she cheered.

“Yeah!” Deni bellowed, tapping his own mug against hers and Aeria’s before drinking the rest of the coffee. It was starting to lose temperature. As soon as he set it back on the kitchen surface, however, he released a sigh that could have been misinterpreted as a groan.

“Can’t we get fat on some greasy food and sleep for a day first? Arctoa is the coldest place in Araevis and I want to be able to remember what a bed feels like.”

Aeria smiled and nodded her agreement with Deni’s assessment of the situation. “Yeah we can! Let’s go find the best greasy spoon in town and chow down. We can head for bed after that and meet back here tomorrow, so we can start to prepare for the trip.”

In spite of everything that had happened in the past months, the prospect of an adventure still stirred the lean spurii’s heart. The thought of being out there on the road with her fellow Heroes of the Black Portal was hugely appealing for her and she felt the old, familiar itch to see new vistas and face new challenges rising in her.

Whatever awaited them up the road in Arctoa, it was the best chance they had to break out of old routines and start anew.