There was something nice about the lulls between jobs, those times when the nein could settle in and take a breath to plan their next moves. But there was always a line between comfortable and stifling that Mollymauk did not always tread easily or even well. He was restless at the best of times but he couldn't exactly go and whine that things were too cozy, could he?
So, he found ways to ease the ache in his feet. Going out with the others, helping out projects to do to keep his mind off the fact that they had been in one place for weeks. Tonight, the house was quiet and Molly couldn't sleep so he did the one thing he was trying to avoid doing.
He went to bother Essek.
No knock at the door to the library, no announcement beyond the tiefling flinging himself into the chair opposite the drow as he studied or whatever it was stuffy elves did. Always the reading, always the delving into the mysteries of the universe. Too much trouble in Molly's opinion.
"I thought we might play a game." He said, setting a bottle of the odd blue liquor on the table along with two glasses. "Pass the time and all that."
Essek had found himself deep in several spell theories, had three books spread out while he wrote diagrams and notes in his own manifested spellbook. The firelight was low, the candles pooling wax, and Essek was so engrossed, he barely noticed the dimness or the sound of someone entering. Only when the bottle and glasses came down did he look up, purple eyes inquisitive, before back to the words at hand.
“I think either Beau or Nott might be better suited to games involving that.” He nodded to the bottle, before turning a page.
“I fear I would not make good company at the moment.” The smile on his lips was trained, careful; it was the same one he had used often in court and when he first had met the Nein.
There was nothing wrong with reading, so long as it wasn't dull as dishwater. And to Molly that was practically every book in existence. Except for the dirty ones and even then he liked it more when he could convince Beau and Jester to read to him. Maybe it was his age showing but he had never been good at focusing on the written word. Not when people were so much more interesting.
"Nonsense, everyone has time for a little fun. And you haven't done anything but read since dinner and that was..." His head tilted to the side, considering. "About six hours ago, now. Everyone else is asleep."
He could read the signs, the subtle dismissal in those words and he very politely ignored them as he poured out a dram of the liquor into each glass.
"You're not going to make me drink alone, are you, Mr. Theylss?"
“Only six hours? Then I can clearly fit in another three hours before needing to rest.”
It was a joke, however dry it might seem. If the others were asleep, then it left only them, and perhaps a drink wouldn’t be so terrible. Whatever this was, it didn’t seem like wine, but a single drink had never loosened him anyway; he had little to truly be concerned about.
Slowly closing the spell book, he made a small motion with his hand and pushed the book into the pocket plane. Once it was gone, he looked to him before holding out his hand for one of the glasses, the small smile on his lips again.
“A short break only. I was getting close to several items I have been working on.”
"Breaks are good for breakthroughs. Someone told me that once, I think."
Had someone actually said that to him? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, it sounded good rolling off his tongue. That was what motivated a lot of what he said and did, how it felt. Planning was good but impulse guided him more often than not.
Smiling amiably, Molly passed the glass over to Essek and sniffed his own. It smelled sharp, like fruits and ice and some other pretentious stuff. Mostly he was interested in whether or not the dwarf who sold him on it was full of shit or not.
"Apparently this stuff is meant to be sipped, but where's the fun in that?" Molly raised his glass in toast before tossing it back without an ounce of hesitation, half a challenge to see whether or not Essek would loosen his collar and take the challenge.
“And yet, if you break too often, you will get nothing done.” Which was the exact opposite that he was trying to do, even as easy as it was to fall into that space. It took determination, drive to keep him going, but even he wanted to breathe sometimes.
As for the alcohol, Essek did not “take the challenge’; he sipped the drink as it was meant to be, tasting both the flavorful and bitter notes intermingling on his tongue. There was a depth there that he enjoyed; it reminded him of the drinks back home, just as harsh as the land around his city.
He wondered what Molly would have thought of it.
“The ‘fun’ is in taking the time to know the taste, pick it apart, understand and appreciate it,” he offered, sipping it again. “You get to know a great deal about something by examining it rather than rushing through it.”
"I get what you're saying, I do. But, if it wasn't obvious, that isn't really my style."
Being alive, being himself for just two short years meant he ripped through experiences like a hurricane. Whether it was downing a liquor meant to be savored and dissected or joining up with a ragtag band of weirdos because his previous one was falling apart. He wanted to live, wanted to do as much as possible.
Maybe it was an elf thing. They had so much time to waste.
The next sip came slower and he found himself wishing he had brought something a bit more rotgut instead. Maybe Essek would have almost made a face. Almost.
"So what part of the universe are you trying to unravel this week? Must be important."
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for essek
So, he found ways to ease the ache in his feet. Going out with the others, helping out projects to do to keep his mind off the fact that they had been in one place for weeks. Tonight, the house was quiet and Molly couldn't sleep so he did the one thing he was trying to avoid doing.
He went to bother Essek.
No knock at the door to the library, no announcement beyond the tiefling flinging himself into the chair opposite the drow as he studied or whatever it was stuffy elves did. Always the reading, always the delving into the mysteries of the universe. Too much trouble in Molly's opinion.
"I thought we might play a game." He said, setting a bottle of the odd blue liquor on the table along with two glasses. "Pass the time and all that."
no subject
Essek had found himself deep in several spell theories, had three books spread out while he wrote diagrams and notes in his own manifested spellbook. The firelight was low, the candles pooling wax, and Essek was so engrossed, he barely noticed the dimness or the sound of someone entering. Only when the bottle and glasses came down did he look up, purple eyes inquisitive, before back to the words at hand.
“I think either Beau or Nott might be better suited to games involving that.” He nodded to the bottle, before turning a page.
“I fear I would not make good company at the moment.” The smile on his lips was trained, careful; it was the same one he had used often in court and when he first had met the Nein.
no subject
"Nonsense, everyone has time for a little fun. And you haven't done anything but read since dinner and that was..." His head tilted to the side, considering. "About six hours ago, now. Everyone else is asleep."
He could read the signs, the subtle dismissal in those words and he very politely ignored them as he poured out a dram of the liquor into each glass.
"You're not going to make me drink alone, are you, Mr. Theylss?"
no subject
It was a joke, however dry it might seem. If the others were asleep, then it left only them, and perhaps a drink wouldn’t be so terrible. Whatever this was, it didn’t seem like wine, but a single drink had never loosened him anyway; he had little to truly be concerned about.
Slowly closing the spell book, he made a small motion with his hand and pushed the book into the pocket plane. Once it was gone, he looked to him before holding out his hand for one of the glasses, the small smile on his lips again.
“A short break only. I was getting close to several items I have been working on.”
no subject
Had someone actually said that to him? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, it sounded good rolling off his tongue. That was what motivated a lot of what he said and did, how it felt. Planning was good but impulse guided him more often than not.
Smiling amiably, Molly passed the glass over to Essek and sniffed his own. It smelled sharp, like fruits and ice and some other pretentious stuff. Mostly he was interested in whether or not the dwarf who sold him on it was full of shit or not.
"Apparently this stuff is meant to be sipped, but where's the fun in that?" Molly raised his glass in toast before tossing it back without an ounce of hesitation, half a challenge to see whether or not Essek would loosen his collar and take the challenge.
no subject
As for the alcohol, Essek did not “take the challenge’; he sipped the drink as it was meant to be, tasting both the flavorful and bitter notes intermingling on his tongue. There was a depth there that he enjoyed; it reminded him of the drinks back home, just as harsh as the land around his city.
He wondered what Molly would have thought of it.
“The ‘fun’ is in taking the time to know the taste, pick it apart, understand and appreciate it,” he offered, sipping it again. “You get to know a great deal about something by examining it rather than rushing through it.”
no subject
Being alive, being himself for just two short years meant he ripped through experiences like a hurricane. Whether it was downing a liquor meant to be savored and dissected or joining up with a ragtag band of weirdos because his previous one was falling apart. He wanted to live, wanted to do as much as possible.
Maybe it was an elf thing. They had so much time to waste.
The next sip came slower and he found himself wishing he had brought something a bit more rotgut instead. Maybe Essek would have almost made a face. Almost.
"So what part of the universe are you trying to unravel this week? Must be important."