Cheers!

[moreweaponsthanyou]

Who: Fil(bert), OPEN
When: 7/5
Where: Random bar in Locke
What: Fil's noticed he's finally stopped shrinking and has gone out to a bar to 'celebrate'. If he's talked to you more than once on the network and he knows you're legal, you probably got a message he's gone to so-and-so bar to have a drink or two, maybe three and you're all welcome to join him. He's open to having random passerby's join him as well, so drop on in!



The change was very gradual, so gradual that he almost didn't notice it at first. Oh he knew it was starting, his Uncle's new height was a very very big wake-up call, so maybe it was him just deliberately forgetting that fact because he didn't want to. However, it was hard to miss once it got started, especially when he started having to use step-stools to reach shelves that he previously could touch with no problems. His workplace was thankfully accommodating, though he'd had to endure a bit of mostly good-natured teasing about it.

Just like when it started, it'd taken a few days until he noticed he'd finally stopped. Might as well go out and 'celebrate' properly, right? He hoped a few people will show up to keep him company; Fil wasn't in the habit of drinking alone.

In any case, he got started on the first drink, just a normal beer to start with.

Comments

[espigeonage]

Looming half-avian presence though he was, it wasn't as starkly obvious when Julien entered as it really should have been. He did get a lot of second looks. Some patrons took out their phones, some turned away pointedly. He ignored those reactions, flashed a smile at Fil, and asked the bartender to put the textured silicon sleeve he'd brought around a glass of Oberon's, a light summer beer.

Julien settled on a stool, his clawed feet planted on the floor and his tail hanging behind, and raised his eyebrows. "Suil. Is there an occasion?"

[mistakesmakeuswhoweare]

It didn't take long for Isabela to spot her friend. Booze had a good way of bringing them together. She swaggered up and took the seat next to him.

"It's never much fun drinking alone, is it?" she said. "How about the next round's on me?"

[moreweaponsthanyou]

Fil was still nursing his first beer when Julien arrived. He was drawing more attention than Fil preferred but whatever. What was life without a few risks? And no doubt Julien should be able to go wherever he liked no matter what he looked like.

"Hey!" He gave Julien a cheerful grin. "Can't you tell? It's kinda obvious now."

[moreweaponsthanyou]

Isabela will need to do a bit of catching up to do; Fil was on his 3rd beer. There was a plate of hot wings in front of him; he's not one of those people who can just drink and drink on an empty stomach. That plate he pushed towards Isabela in a wordless invitation for her to help herself.

"Not much, no. Kind of you to offer, so I'll take it."

[espigeonage]

When he was seated, the dramatic elongation of Julien's limbs was less obvious. Ignoring the subtler lengthening of his neck, the compact body type he'd had before was still there, broadened slightly by muscle he'd put on by moving arms encased in wings.

Still, even when seated he now had to look down at Fil. He considered a moment. Some of the Thorssons were more touchy about shrinking than others. Fil... "I know you petitioned the Lollipop Guild for membership."

[seed_of_memory]

There's someone already sitting at the bar when Fil arrives, and she's keeping to herself. It's obvious though she's already had a few, and judging by the bruises and cuts on her face and the way she's sitting wit an attempt to avoid putting weight on one side of her body, it's clear that she's been seriously injured.

Nevertheless, she can't avoid assessing her situation, and ends up glancing in Fil's direction several times, as if she were studying him.

[moreweaponsthanyou]

Fil sniffed over-dramatically in reply. "I did not. If they got an application from me, it's because someone put in one on my behalf." He gave Julien his best intimidating stare (it wasn't really that intimidating).

"Was that person you?"

[moreweaponsthanyou]

A tiny bit tipsy he may be but Fil wasn't unobservant. On Fuyuka's second glance in his direction he notices. He also notices the bruises and cuts on her face and wonders why she isn't resting at home or even better, a hospital.

Well, he wouldn't know unless he asked. On her next look over, he makes sure to catch her eye and lift his drink up in invitation.

[espigeonage]

Julien gave him his best imitation of the Mona Lisa smile. It wasn't very good. His beer came, with the sleeve that made it easier for him to grip, and Julien smiled brightly before turning back.

"It wasn't Thorir? I swear he mailed 'em out for like half the family."

[siesinddasessen]

Blaine is entering the main room of the bar from the corridor that leads to the staff and private rooms. She's about to see the men that she's with to the door and then leave herself when she spots Fil and instead sends them on alone with a short word and headshake and instead plops herself down next to him.

"So are you shorter than him now?" This is totally how you open friendly conversations.

[seed_of_memory]

That got Fuyuka's attention. Even in her state of inebriation, she expected him to be suspicious or annoyed, not raising his cup in greeting.

Nevertheless...

"Hello," she said, before taking a quick sip. It was something."

[moreweaponsthanyou]

Fil sniffed again and quaffed the rest of his beer before flagging down the bartender for another. "Uncle Thorir has MUCH better taste than THAT."

[moreweaponsthanyou]

Fil recognized Blaine. Sort of. He's not sure of her name or just exactly what her relationship to Killian is but he decides to answer anyway.

"You'll have to quantify that a bit more. I'm shorter than most 'hims' over the age of thirteen in town right now."

[moreweaponsthanyou]

"'Lo." Fil answered easily before taking another drink. "So! Did you win?" It was kind of an odd start to a conversation, but he was a little bit tipsy at this point.

[espigeonage]

"I suppose I shouldn't impinge on the tastes of someone who does all those things with a hammer." He took a pull from his glass. "Okay, if not that, what?"

Julien has been politely pretending not to notice most of the shrinking, outside of private considerations on whether he should crouch a bit. The first realization that various people were reaching the level of his groin had been uncomfortable.

[moreweaponsthanyou]

"Uncle has excellent taste." Fil answered smugly. "I'm glad you realize that."

Fil shook his glass lightly, watching the ice clink around in it and swirling the beer in it around. "We don't have a name for it yet. Maybe the Coming of the Dwarfs of Locke? How does that sound?"

[espigeonage]

"Though I hope you understand that thinking about him in his modeling days is hilarious," Julien told him. "The things he wore."

"The coming of the Dwarfs? Hmm. Could work, let's see..." He set it to the tune of 'The Holly and the Ivy' and sang, quietly so it wouldn't bother people. "The rising of the sun and the coming of the dwarves, the ringing in the fam'ly forge and sweet singing in the choir." Julien still didn't get it.

[seed_of_memory]

Fuyuka stared for a moment... before doing absolutely uncharacteristic.

She laughed.

"... I survived," she said, after finishing, taking another quick sip of her drink.

[buildyourworld]

It was a good thing he had his FBI badge with him because there was no way he wouldn't get carded looking this underage. After shooting the bouncer enough glare that could iced the entire bar's supplies of beer, the big guy finally relented and let him in. If he wasn't curious enough to meet Fil for the first time, he would had kick the guy in the nut and walk away. Probably not the best idea ever but it was tempting.

The moment his eyes found him, which wasn't easy considering he came without knowing the reason that prompted the invitation, he stopped in his steps for a moment. It was still surprising to see, considering that Fil had always given some kind of 'bigger-than-the-world' impression every time they spoke. He was small per se, but he certainly wasn't as tall as Eugen had thought him to be. Grabbing a beer from the barman, he headed to the table and sat down, suddenly very mindful of his own height. "You weren't kidding about the height, huh?" He held the glass out for a 'cheers', a small smile curled from the edge of his lips.

[moreweaponsthanyou]

Well, laughing was good. Laughing was a whole lot better than crying. It was also better than punching him in the face. Fil grinned again.

"That's good too. Want to toast to your survival?"

[moreweaponsthanyou]

"Eh, that was what, the 70's or the 80's? They ALL had questionable fashion senses those days. No doubt in 30 or 40 years the people of THAT generation will be commenting about our questionable fashion choices."

Fil took another sip of his beer and listened as Julien sang. "Oh...that's...really good. I didn't know you sang, Julien."

[moreweaponsthanyou]

Fil raised an eyebrow as Eugen sat down without a word of greetings or introductions. Then again, he recognized Eugen from the Network and with the bantering they did occasionally on it, did they need the social niceties such as in-person hellos? Fil considered it for a moment and shook his head mentally.

Nah.

"Nope." Fil answered. "Hence why I'm here. This is to celebrate on regaining my 'true' height." He reached forward to clink his glass against Eugen's. "You weren't kidding about the purple hair either. So I've been wondering...does the carpet still match the drapes? Or do you have purple up there and something else down there?"

[espigeonage]

"True. But that's no reason not to laugh! I just have to take the next generation's scorn with grace, if I live that long." Julien used his mouth to pluck the orange slice from the lip of his glass and drop it in.

"I don't make a habit of it. Thanks, though! My voice changed a year ago, I can match human voices or instruments, say two things at once..." He shrugged a feathery shoulder and took a pull from his glass. "It's something I could probably make more use of, but I never think of it, normally."

[buildyourworld]

Their glasses clink to that horrible pick up line as the smile morphed slowly into a smirk. If he was offended by such thing, he would had died of hypertension a long time ago. So, instead of raining Fil with beer, he took a deliberate long gulp from his glass before setting it down. He leaned forward on one hand and smirked at the dwarf, "Hmm... how tall are you now? You're at a convenient height to find out, isn't it?"

If Fil wanted to be a jerk, Eugen had no problem returning it. After all, he grew up with terror as his childhood friend. He leaned back slowly into his chair, dragging his fingers gently across the table until he reached for his glass. He smirked one last time before taking another sip of beer. Unsure of whether Fil had had one too many drinks or being his usual self, he simply watched for his reaction.

[moreweaponsthanyou]

"I'll probably be laughing at myself in a couple of decades. It's always a good thing to laugh at yourself." Fil said cheerfully and drained the last of his beer.

He was contemplating if he wanted to stick to beer all evening or switch to something else when that fact caught his attention. "Oh really? That's really cool. Definitely nothing a normal guy can do. You can probably make it as a street performance on the streets or something."