Take a Drink With Me[[open]]

[Etincelle Noel]

Dammit… I came here for one reason. Women. BUT EVER SINCE I GOT TO THIS STUPID LITTLE ISLAND I’VE SEEN NOTHING BUT MUSCLE MONGERING IDIOTS! Doesn’t help that the army I joined has less than like 10 chicks. You see. I’m a helpless romantic at heart. Honestly I am. I am in love with the idea of being in love. I can just never fall in love with anything else. Hmm… now thought I thought about, I think there was a second reason I came to Japan. Oh well.

I stood up from my seat at the tavern. Reaching towards my belt, I pulled a coin purse and poured a good chunk of money down onto the table. The bar keep nearly dropped the cup he was cleaning. I smirked up at him before speaking.

“Next round’s on the Oshu Army!”

Sometimes to make something, you have to spend something. In this case, I was hoping to make some acquaintances, maybe even some friends. I leaned up against the counter watching the bar as I sipped my own liquor, waving to a couple people who said thank you for their drink.

[Zhuo Jina]

Jina wandered the streets of this unusual town. She had just arrived a few hours earlier aboard the ship that her employers owned. She had a job and she was determined to do it. Having spent such a short time on land, she had noticed one thing. Men. And lots of them. 

Truthfully, it wasn't too odd to her. She had lived in a military occupied town growing up, she lived in a city where war was waged with the Japanese pirates once she was married. She had even spent a couple months amongst those very pirates who had taken her from the city unwillingly. She certainly had spent a lot of time around men, and with her new line of work, it looks like that wouldn't change.

She approached a small bar-like shop. The men inside were loud, seemingly with many drinks in them. She was used to alcohol as well. She, actually, enjoyed a good cup of Sake from time to time, though she preferred the Jiu from back home.

Jina shrugged and walked into the bar, small change in her coin purse. She figured if she was going to be living among these men for a few days, she may as well introduce herself. The room grew quiet when she walked in. Her slim build and long legs made her stand out. A woman in an island mostly inhabited by big men.

She was unphased by the quiet and approached the bar.

"Give me something cheap. Whatever he's having." Jina motioned towards the military man to her left.

[Etincelle Noel]

[[OoC: Anything spoken inside of / / is in English.]]

And this bar seems like a bit of a sausagefest why don’t I start getting ou- Oh! Hang on! Why hello there beautiful. Oh no no. Don’t come up to the bar next to me babe. I am by no means ready yet. Gotta come up with my completely poser cool guy pick up line first. Since I had nothing, I did something my mother’d been asking me to do for years. I kept my mouth shut. Not for long because she caught me off guard again.

“/Seriously?/”

I spoke the words in English with a bit of a sigh. She was looking for a cheap drink, which is fine and all, horrible economy. BUT SHE SHE’D HAVE WHAT I WAS HAVING?! Did I look like the kind of guy that drank the cheap stuff? I mean I did drink the cheap stuff, but I didn’t want to look like I did. I crossed my arms and frowned slightly.

“What, do I look like I’d be drinking the cheap stuff?”

My tone had my signature cockiness with just a hint of flirty, my accent ever so slightly giving me away. I had to try and play it off like I was the badass pretty-boy at the bar. I mean after all, not many guys at the bar were European. That had to count for something right?

[Zhuo Jina]

Jina looked at him and blinked. She hadn't meant to be offensive. She didn't know how to respond, really. Her father had raised her to be respectful towards men, especially one dressed well like this pretty young man.

"My apologies, I wasn't attempting to offend you."

Jina bowed slightly at the man, then returned her attention to the bartender. She dumped a few small coins onto the counter in front of her, which was barely enough even for the cheap stuff.

"Get me whatever this can buy."

Having no knowledge of the man next to her, other than that he seemed to be nervous and quick-witted, she moved a couple of feet in the opposite direction. She leaned against the wall at the end of the bar and kept her eyes away from the man. 

"Thanks."

Jina responded when the bartender handed her the drink. She took a big sip of it. It tasted like watered down beer of some kind. Yuck! She grimaced at the taste, setting the cup back down on the bar. Jeeze, this was a bad idea. For sure. Why did she come to this place and spend the last of her money on some cheapskate bar? Her decision making was poor tonight. She picked up the cup and downed the last of it.

God, she had forgotten how much of a lightweight she was. Alcohol goes straight to her head. It was then, that she looked back at the pretty man, noticing his fine features. She wasn't used to seeing foreigners, and this one sure was a sight to see.

[Etincelle Noel]

I guess I jumped the gun here. Maybe she wasn’t trying to insult me. Great, now I felt like a jackass. I scratched the back of my head a bit as I thought about how to make it up. I walked over to her as she put her money down on the counter. I slid it back towards her and put a couple coins from myself up there instead.

“Sorry. I jumped the gun a bit. Let me cover your drink.”

I put my mug of beer back onto the counter. I stuck out my right hand to the girl as a friendly gesture. I matched it with a little smile. Being friendly wasn’t so bad. So I figured I’d introduce myself. There was probably going to be a bit of a mix-up especially while introducing myself. I always forgot that the Japanese said their last names first and mainly used their last name.

“My name’s Noel.”

[[OoC: Pronounced Nole.]]

[Zhuo Jina]

"Nice to meet you, Noel. I've never heard that family name before, where are you from?"

Instead of taking his hand, Jina bowed respectfully. She barely remembered in time that it was improper to touch a man unless he intended on courting her. She lifted her head and smiled slightly, almost snatching the money (for her drink) off of the counter. She could use all the money she could get, and her mind seemed fuzzy.

Jina still didn't know who the man was, but she really appreciated the kind gesture to pay for her drink. Times were tough and with the army being so prominent around, it was hard to find jobs.

[Etincelle Noel]

She didn’t take my hand but bowed instead. I guess it was more of a cultural thing. I gave a bit of a bow as well. It was a little half assed, but my back was a bit sore from lugging around that giant ass sword all the time. Luckily I was able to leave my sword up in my room instead of bringing it down here. And boom. There was the name thing. Another cultural difference. I chuckled a bit at my own stupidity.

“Sorry, Etincelle is actually my family name. Noel’s my given name.”

I picked up my drink and took a sip. I had a pretty decent tolerance, especially to this piss-water. I drank one beer earlier though so I was actually a bit buzzed, but not too bad. The first drink was always to loosen up. After that, all of the other drinks were to either socialize, or to party. Luckily for my liver, I wasn’t here to go hard today. I was here to socialize

“So what’s your name, Gorgeous?”

[Zhuo Jina]

Gorgeous? Well, that was definitely a new one. Jina wasn't even sure how to react. She had never been courted before, her marriage had been arranged. This man seemed interested in her, but she wasn't really sure what it meant. Maybe the alcohol was going to her head.

"Etincelle..." Only one word came out of her mouth and it was his name? Got she must sound like the village idiot. "M-my name's Jina!" She quickly corrected herself, hoping that he hadn't noticed her disfunctionality. 

Without realizing it, she smiled. The smile was wide, showing her teeth. The alcohol was definitely going to her head.

[Etincelle Noel]

"Jina huh? That's a nice name."

I smiled at the girl a bit before taking another sip. The girl was cute, but a bit spacey. I pretended like I hadn't heard her zoning out while saying my name. Letting her save face and all. I ran a hand through my hair slightly. I was starting to get a bit tired. I'd been out at the bar for quite a while and before that I had been traveling around. Truth be told, I probably didn't deserve to be whining about being tired. I had been riding on horse back the entire time. Guess it was just my laziness showing.

"So what brings you around here?"

[Zhuo Jina]

He was asking about me? This was a very unusual situation for her, but she decided to relax. Maybe she just needed to be one of the guys and she would get more jobs. Women are rarely hired for her kind of work, so she was hoping that maybe if she assimilated into "their" world, she'd have more work.

"I'm here on a job," Jina shrugged her shoulders to relax them, "wasn't really sure where to go, so I thought I would get a drink. How about you, handsome man?"

[Etincelle Noel]

Handsome man? Oh Baby come on don’t tease me. I smiled a bit. It was a somewhat handsome smile, but at the same time it was one of those oh-I know-I’m-handsome-when-I-smile-so-I’mma-do-it-to-make-the-girls-swoon smiles. I couldn’t help it! I knew I was good looking, mostly because people said it often in my travels and I was exotic over here. I mean sure my insanely high amounts of cockiness and self-assurance didn’t help. I took a drink to pull myself out of my own mind. That happens to me far too often.

“I’m here… on a secret mission.”

I’ve used this line a million times. Sometimes I was a French-Knight, sometimes I was with the Prussian Consulate. Hell, once I was even the Prince of Latvia. That one was a hard one to pull off. Girls love the mysterious guy who’s on a secret mission, especially the drunk ones. I would continue non-chalantly sipping my drink, as if being on a secret mission was nothing new to me. Hell if I told her the real reason I was here, to find and protect my little brother, she would probably think I was a dork.

[Zhuo Jina]

Jina put her elbow down hard on the counter beside her and began tapping her fingers on the wood. She raised an eyebrow. "Secret Mission? Well I suppose I won't ask about it then, but it sure does sound interesting." She smiled again, glad she had already finished her drink. She didn't want to be any less sober than this, especially around such a good looking guy. 

His cockiness was apparent, but it reminded her of her father in some ways. He was often off swooning the women of her town, never truly "cheating" on her mother, but certainly not treating her respectfully. Even so, Jina found it appealing.

"Well, secret man, I can tell you are a warrior. Are you a mercenary like myself?"

[Etincelle Noel]

"Actually, I'm part of the Oshu army. I work under the Big Bo- I mean Lord Masamune."

Calling Date the big boss in public was a bit embarrassing. None the less, he was a good man. Date took care of the people of Oshu. He also took care of his men and protected them. I sighed as I finished the last bit of my drink and stood up. It was getting late and I was a long way from Oshu.

"I should probably get going."

[Zhuo Jina]

"Yeah? That's too bad. I was just starting to like you." Jina smirked and moved herself off the wall, walking towards the exit. "Only had enough for one drink. Suppose I'll be going too." She stumbled slightly, had she really drank that much. She tried to play it off. An untied shoelace or something.

Jina exited the bar and stood there, looking at the surroundings. Uh, where was she supposed to go? It was dark out now, and the bar itself didn't have an inn attached. Plus, she didn't have the money.

Reluctantly, she began heading the direction back to where she had seen some clearings. She would make a fire and sleep out there for the night. "See ya--" She stumbled again, still waving back at the Oshu army man.

[Etincelle Noel]

At first I pretended not to notice her stumble. After all, why should I bother myself with some girl I had just met at the bar. Once we got outside though... she continued stumbling. I sighed... dammit. I walked after Jina and picked the girl up in my arms, tucking my left arm under he knees and supporting her back with my right arm. Why did I always involve myself with things that weren't my problem? It frustrated me to no end that I couldn't just let things be.

"Look. You're in no condition to be walking around alone right now. Come with me. There's an inn down the road."

[Zhuo Jina]

Her eyes had lit up when Noel picked her up. Jina really had never been touched by a man. Even her husband from across the sea had little interest in her, and certainly nothing this intimate had ever approached his mind.

Jina's heart was racing and with her mind just a little foggy, she wasn't really sure whether this was okay or not. It felt comfortable, that was for sure, but there was a little alarm going off in her head.

Jina chose to ignore it and instead just smiled widely at the Date man. She really did appreciate what he was doing, but she was worried that when it came time to leave the inn, she wouldn't have the money to pay for the night.

"Uhm, I'd rather just stay out in an open field or something...." Her voice dropped off.

[Etincelle Noel]

"Not when you're like this. Don't worry. I'll take care of it."

I smiled at the girl, as I turned the corner and faced the inn. I used my left hand to open the door while supporting her weight with my forearm. The man at the reception desk gave me a bit of a weird look. Probably warranted. I mean how many guests come in carrying a chick bridal style?

"Hey. Can I get one room?"

I smirked at the man, and waited till he gave me the keys to a room. From there I walked up the stairs and looked around the hall till I found the room in question. I let Jina down before opening the door, but still kept one arm around her to support her.

"There you go."

[Zhuo Jina]

Jina's feet felt a little unsteady, but she didn't feel like she would fall. She entered the room, finding a bed and a nightstand. There was little open space with a small closet-like room for travel bags. 

"Wait...where will you sleep?" Jina muttered, assuming since he only got one room, that he was intending to stay. The culture she was raised in didn't have a proper instilled reaction for a situation like this. Women didn't really drink, certainly weren't carried off from the bar by a handsome man to an inn with one room. 

It didn't really matter. Jina's eyes were drooping slightly and she just wanted to sleep. This man had been very kind to her and she felt bad for being tired. She could guess that there was something more that the man wanted, but she couldn't really fight her body.

"I'm pretty tired." She smiled sheepishly. God, why does he make me feel so comfortable?

[Etincelle Noel]

[[OoC: Sorry that this is like over a week late.]]

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine with the floor."

I helped Jina over to the bed and gently pressed her to sit down on it. Once she was in the bed, I would retrieve my arm from around her. I walked over to the wall as I undid the holster that carried my sword. I put the holster on the ground and leaned the sword against the wall. Once I was sure it wouldn't tip over, I myself also sat down in the corner leaning against the wall for support as I closed my eyes.

[Zhuo Jina]

When Jina awoke in the morning, she stretched her arms out, fully extending them. A low grunt escaped as she woke her body. She was smiling, I slept so well. 

It was then that she noticed Noel was propped up in the corner, breathing softly. His eyes were closed. Seeing how...gentle he looked put a smile on her face again. He was so kind to her last night and she was impressed by his restraint for lust.

Jina sat on the edge of the bed and oiled her weapons, making sure that they were clean and sharp. It was another hour before she noticed Noel beginning to stir...

[Etincelle Noel]

[[OoC: Kind of ruins your post butttttttt I'm sorry =X]]

"Noel" stirred in his sleep before slouching to the side and falling over. The covers fell off of "him" only to reveal that the Noel that it was in the corner was a fake. A clever or not so clever mix of pillows, sheets, and a yellow shirt to match his blonde hair. A note would be left within the pillow Noel that read as the following:

"Gone to Oshu. Nice meeting you."

Hours Earlier:

I opened one eye to check if Jina had fallen asleep. As she did, I slowly picked up my sword and holster, not putting my shoes on until I went outside into the hallway. I quietly made it downstairs to the inn keeper and paid for two days in advance. I couldn't sit still... being in one place. The thought frightened me. So I had to just keep on moving. That's how I always was.

[Zhuo Jina]

Seeing the "doll" before her was disappointing. She had enjoyed his company last night and was hoping that she would get to spend a bit more time with him. For some reason, his flirty nature and unnaturally foreign hair intrigued her and made her heart flutter a bit. 

It was something she hadn't experienced since before she was married and felt kind of sad to see it gone so quickly. She was strong though and didn't linger on the thought for more than a couple of minutes.

After she put her armor back on and put her long hair back up, Jina went out to the lobby-area. She waved to the innkeeper, smiling. "How are you this morning?" The man chuckled, "It's half way though the afternoon. Rough night?"

"No, I suppose I just slept very well." She turned away, smiling. The man called out to her as she walked off and told her that she had another couple of nights paid for. She shook her head, grinning widely. She was glad to have a roof over her head, but more than anything she hoped he would return.

Sadly, she expected he wouldn't.