We didn’t just taste the liquor; we threw back shot after shot like two idiots racing against an invisible clock.
Vanguard’s Blood tasted like liquid lightning mixed with crushed cinnamon and lemon and... uh, fire thingy?, I mean... it’s burning a scorching path all the way down to my stomach, but, heh. Like a pro, neither of us stopped.
We moved from the crimson reserve to— ’pale luminescent blue spirit BLA BLA BLA that would actually supress the Other alcohol’ < the name of the brand —that tasted suspiciously like frost-berries that’s aged.
Chug, chug, chug, chud.
The glasses hit the wooden coffee table over and over in a heavy, rhythmic hitting, *thud, thud, thud!* the dark glass bottles was rapidly draining as we kept reaching for it by minute or second.
AND HALF an hour passed in a total blur.
By the time we were three bottles deep, the heavy 120-proof arcane alcohol had thoroughly slammed into both of our systems, body, nerves, or whatever it could hit or enter.
Aveline was slumped against the side cushion of the couch, completely tipsy, her cheeks flushed a brilliant, rosy red as she babbled utter nonsense to the ceiling. "...and then I told my father, ’Sir, if the wyvern doesn’t want to wear the saddle, you simply cannot force the wyvern!’ But he wouldn’t listen, Rex! He just kept talking about the family lineage and the tax exemptions for rare beast breeding! Like... augh~ they need to HAVE A SEX! to get a rare breed."
She let out a loud, breathless snort, slapping her knee before burying her face in a throw pillow.
ᄒᴥᄒ what was the story about again?
I sigh, leaned back against the base of the couch, resting my head against the cushions as I stared blankly toward the tv screen, my vision floating in a comfortable, heavy haze.
Right on cue, a familiar pink light flickered directly over my face.
DING—
「QUEST SYSTEM — NOTIFICATION」
[1st Proper Quest: BE A MAN] — COMPLETE!
• Requirements: 3/3 Shared Activities Finished!
- Activity 1: Guided Campus Escort (COMPLETE)
- Activity 2: Conservatory Meal (COMPLETE)
- Activity 3: Getting drunk— supposed to be something spicy but didn’t happen (COMPLETE)
• Rewards Distributed:
+20 Mana
+2% Charisma
+Unknown Title: [1+ slot opened]」
"Nice..." I muttered flatly, my drunk brain barely registering the glowing interface as I stared right through the text.
The twenty points of mana surged quietly through my dormant veins like a cool wave, but the alcohol kept me anchored to the couch.
Aveline shifted beside me, sliding off the cushions and leaning her head directly against my shoulder, her warm breath fanning against my neck. "You’re drunk, aren’t you?" she giggled softly.
"No..." I drawled, not moving an inch.
"You’re staring at the ceiling with a completely blank face. Haha." She poked my cheek. "Towtally drunk~ (*´ω｀*)"
"I’m not."
Before I could defend my honor, Aveline pushed herself up, stood directly in front of me, swaying just slightly on her feet.
The dim glow of the room framed her silhouette, her dark bangs falling over her forehead to shield her eyes as her round glasses glinted under the night light coming through the window.
In one swift motion, she leaned down, planted both hands at my thighs, softly sat directly on my lap, and pressed against me as her arms wrapped casually around my shoulders.
"For some reason... you look completely different right now," she whispered, her voice dropping into a quiet, hazy slur as she squinted down at my face.
"Different, how?" I asked, my eyelids heavy as I glanced up at her.
"Helpful," I muttered dryly, my fingers tightening slightly against her waist unconsciously.
"Your face just looks... softer."
"It’s the same face I’ve had all day."
I blinked, the heavy warmth of the alcohol making my thoughts move like syrup.
She leaned closer, examining every detail of my face like I was some kind of rare specimen she’d stumbled across in the wild.
"Super... different," she murmured, staring directly into my eyes.
She reached up, gently slipped her own wire-rimmed glasses off her nose, and carefully slid them onto my face, resting them over the bridge of my nose.
She leaned back slightly, a sleepy, breathtaking smile melting onto her lips. "Better."
"How?"
She extended a single finger, tapping the corner of the frame gently. "Those glasses."
"What about them? They’re just glasses."
"No..." She leaned down, bringing her face so close to mine that our noses were almost brushing, her sweet, berry-scented breath mixing with the sharp tang of the sweetened alcohol.
"It’s not just glasses." She placed both hands against my cheeks, her soft palms caressing my skin with an intoxicating, agonizing stare. "They’re Rex’s glasses now."
"Haha... the hell."
"I don’t know," she whispered with a faint, affectionate laugh, her thumb tracing the line of my bottom lip. "But they’re yours..."
"Aveline—"
"Shh," she added, before I could argue further, she pressed a finger lightly against my lips. "Just let me savor this."
I kept my mouth shut, letting the quiet hum of the room wash over us.
Time seemed to stretch out into nothingness.
...
...
...
...
She didn’t pull away; instead, she stayed perched on my lap, her hands lazily caressing my cheeks and neck as she slowly leaned her head down.
She began peppering soft, feathery kisses along my cheekbone, drifting down toward my ear, and then gently tracing the underside of my jaw with her lips.
The touch was impossibly soft, sending a quiet, lingering heat straight down my spine.
"What are you doing?" I asked softly, my voice raspy.
"Savoring," she murmured against my skin. "Shh."
I kept my mouth shut after that.
She wrapped one arm loosely around my neck, leaning further down to press a slow kiss against the side of my throat, humming softly against my skin like she’d just confirmed something to her own satisfaction. "Yeah... Good~"
I couldn’t quite look away from her at that point, my hand drifting on its own from her waist up to cup her face, she paused for a second, letting out a faint sigh of contentment.
Just for a second.
Before reaching up to hold my hand there, pressing it a little more firmly against her own cheek.
As the oversized gray t-shirt shifted against her skin, the dim light caught a dark, tender mark on her jawline.
I noticed her right cheek was still noticeably swollen and reddening under her pale skin. "Isn’t this where you got slapped repeatedly by those bullies earlier today?" I asked softly, my thumb gently tracing the edge of the bruise.
She nodded faintly, her eyes half-closed. "Why?"
"It’s turning red again."
"Haha... Probably just the aftermath coming back now." she murmured, a quiet, melancholic tone creeping into her voice.
She closed her eyes, resting her forehead lightly against mine. "Thank you for saving me earlier, by the way. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t walked down that alley."
"Don’t worry about it," I replied quietly.
As I looked down, the oversized collar of the gray t-shirt slipped completely off her shoulder, exposing the smooth curve of her neck and collarbone.
My sober instincts instantly spiked. Because scattered across her pale skin was deep, purplish-blue bruises and harsh finger-shaped marks that clearly hadn’t come from a simple fistfight— they were old, deliberate, and restrictive.
I reached out, gently pushing the loose fabric further off her other shoulder, exposing the full extent of the harsh marks wrapping around her upper chest.
I brought her close, my hand gripping her back waist tightly to hold her against me as I leaned down, pressing my lips softly against her bruised collarbone.
"What is this?" I demanded, my tone shifting into a low, dangerous growl. "Did those bastards beat you up here too?"
Aveline went rigid in my arms, her breathing hitching slightly as she turned her head away, her eyelashes fluttering shut. "No..."
"Then who did it?"
She stayed quiet for a long, agonizing second before speaking in a small, trembling whisper. "My boyfriend."
ತ_ತ? I froze.
The warm, hazy fog of the alcohol evaporated instantly, my drunk mind hitting a brick wall of ice-cold hangover as my lips rested against the sensitive skin of her neck.
I slowly pulled back, my eyes staring up into hers with a sudden, side eye. ತ_ʖತ mf what?