They'd spent the better part of an hour wrapped in conversation before making any attempts to leave, preparations for a likely excursion away from the city looming over their shoulders like fitted weights, far too heavy for their own good yet unbearably unavoidable to carry, truly the far brighter ideas of sleep took the forefront and although they'd had their rest before arriving in the city, that wasn't on a bed with a pillow after a warm shower whilst bereft of any future arrangements to worry about waking up. An unfortunate thing that that had to wait, there was little to point to it with the approach of early evening and the further need to be somewhere during it.
Sunset over the city cast the usual warm pinkish red hues along the sides of the taller buildings scattered across it, the bell tower situated almost squarely in the city's center being the most stunning of them, dulled out bronze managing a glimmering glint atop the cobbled stone. It was a common beauty that fared poorly in still distracting him from what he wore, if by some coincidence, that had been the point. Thrand's Tavern wasn't shoddy or shabby, rarely the kind of sight you'd expect from something run by a former adventurer—the kinds of people more than used to such environments. Slightly deeper into the city, closer to central but far from it, somehow the sturdy gremlin had achieved nearly perfect positioning. It wasn't too far from the guild, wasn't any further from Tenma or the guards stationed at the gate and the rest of those working this side of the city who'd be more than inclined to down a glass or two when they could.
Lights flickered to life this time of day, increasingly visible in the gradual loss of the sun, the street lamps, the neon's of certain stores beckoning ones attention, the apartment buildings beside them and carriage lights bobbing down the roads. Somehow, as it sometimes always did, city nights felt just that much more…lively. The building itself wasn't massive, mostly the size of the guild building if one had to try and compare, coincidence or familiarity, perhaps more of the latter when you thought about it. Similar saloon doors outfitted the entrance as light flushed out onto the sidewalk. Many others had adopted the more flamboyant choices in signs, the dwindling few like himself still held the usual, made of wood and almost sorely useless if it weren't for the glow of the street lamps cluing one in on what it said in the dark.
The coat somehow felt uncomfortable again, wrong in manners he couldn't put down in words but once again, it seemed too late to change anything and it wasn't like anything was going to be changed anytime soon anyway. Commotion from inside spilled as it melded into the ambiance of the night, not rowdy but not calm either. Unsurprisingly the place seemed busy, the constant stir of the doors opening and greeting others in was quite the proof of that, some half out of it, others helped out of it or methodically stepping in. An interesting sight really, there were so many stories behind it all—
"You're stalling" He turned, crimson eyes illuminated by the lights although now, from here that felt more like orange, quaint tangerines meeting him as he coughed and glanced away at the accusation, "Hrm, I'm admiring the building, a marvel really" he nodded, hearing a sigh from beside him before an arm suddenly hooked around his own and tugged them forward, "Argh, but the building, it's stunning". The doors swung open with a draft, the swarms of buzzing occupants filling the air in conversation, livelier and louder than what the outside led one to presume and yet still somehow managed itself away from being overly chaotic. Tugged forward again, they waded past the on and off busy entrance, through the scores of tables outfitted with stools and chairs alike; some full, others empty, quite a number only occupied in solitary. Unsurprisingly the faces seated seemed both familiar and unfamiliar, it was a small world this side of the city, they'd lived in it long enough to grow accustomed with its residents.
The baker, a large gaggle of the city wall guards, the tailor unsurprisingly near Arthur's shop. United here by drinks. He was pulled along through buzz and the hum, the front counter not far ahead, two stools still open and the space less than crowded by others sitting down for a glass. Noticing a familiar glimpse of scarlet as they approached, they did so a little faster or at least he was pulled there a little faster, anything that delayed the arrival by a few nanoseconds or more was time well delayed; terribly unfortunate however that the inability to really resist any guidance forward made that small task a wasted endeavor.
Brighter colours caught their attention, part of the reason adventurers wore themselves so extravagantly was that it stuck, made them more memorable. It was a concept he'd never first found the pleasure in, such level of extravagance seemed awfully pointless, although at some point the effectiveness of it couldn't really be denied. The question was, what would he wear to employ it in the first place, armour felt second nature—he'd spent nearly a decade in it after all but that wasn't fitting nor was it practical; it was a wonder sometimes how Gohlm so easily paraded in it, hrm, was he really human? Normal clothing had to do it, not something simple like a shirt but not as extravagant as a suit. Tenma had drawn a compromise all the way back then, a waistcoat would look good on him she said. Sliding another drink over the counter, he smoothed a crease, orange silk beneath his fingers whilst moving to the next person.
"You know the order" He heard a voice whilst turning to grab a glass, shaking his head "I wouldn't be so confidant, pal. Look around, regulars the most of them—that's a lot to remember, so…" turning around as he placed the glass on the counter, his gaze glued to it in the process, "What're you havin'?"
It wasn't supposed to be so odd now and to be honest, it really wasn't, he'd been here long enough for the image to blur over the one of the past and yet..paradoxically it was. His grey hair was neater, cut somewhere in the last few weeks where his beard had been braided, a thick band of silver decorating where the knots ended. The scarlet waistcoat was befitting, faint flowery imprints spread along its silk and ending where the edges turned to black. The dark shirt he wore below it was rolled up above the elbows as he shook his head, "No, I'm sure you do, first drink you ever made…well not counting that one time with Tenma…"
Hearing that, the man frowned; lifting his gaze to stare at them. He was a little confused, the man in front him wore some sort of coat, maroon and deftly stylish. He'd never seen the clothing before—or to be more apt, no one that he accusingly knew so well that wore it but the splendor of it told of extravagance, a desire to be seen and recognized; an adventurer perhaps. The chest-plate beneath it only seemed to confirm that deduction but it still didn't ring a bell, sighing as it seemed increasingly obvious that he didn't know them, he stopped once coming face to face with their head. Staring at them, rather their helmet, that dull silver mantle whose slits for the eyes so wreathed in shadows confused him a for a moment and then left him speechless. He knew that helm anywhere, staring the man up and down again whilst struggling to formulate the words, eventually what did come out was a laugh, "What in the blazes are you wearing?"
He groaned, he knew it'd be like this. The coat was fine, they said, it suited him they praised; in reality, the sight of seeing him bare was far too amusing to let go so abruptly. To hell, where was that enchanter, he could handle the lesser protection if it meant putting on clothes—real clothes. But that wouldn't happen now would it? He cursed, suddenly assaulted by a hard pat on the arm, "Crisis, no, mid-life crisis? The damn helmets still on so maybe you're still there somewhere" he joked, laughing to himself because really the other was barely having it as he took the glass from the counter and turned to make a drink, being sure to take a second and clean that one too whilst he grinned, "Where's the other half of ya? They seen this one yet?"
Pulling a stool and crashing down beside them with two fingers splayed out in front of him, Gale announced, "I'll actually take two for myself" the dwarf had finished Gohlm's sliding it towards him before starting on his, taking a third glass at the order. "You know a lad when their happy" He beamed, two glasses in hand, "They usually tell you what and if they don't, they make it obvious," Placing them in front of him, a charming bright gold where in the rhythm of its creation saw a fruit of deep orange hues hung at both their rims, "I imagine the tin wearing oaf didn't muck things up?"
Gohlm spat, "Impossible"
"Sure it is" He said, stealing a glance at the ring, "My best work yet, though I can't say that's a lot considering my stillness on the craft"
Taking a sip from the glass, Gale paused, his eyes slowly widening at the fact, "The ring, you made it?!"
Thrand grinned, leaning onto the counter and showing a hand that he hadn't even noticed till now was covered in bandages, "Accidents happen but it came out alright"
"You could do that? You're an artist you know" Waving him off at the compliment, he shrugged soon after, proud even though he didn't want to show it, "Comes naturally, bloody hate it though, never done it without hurting myself"
Gale smiled, chuckling lightly whilst glancing down at it as he ran a finger over its surface, "Thanks," he reminisced, "Technically, we mucked things up a bit"
"Ha! Tenma warned you about this didn't she, metal blocking ya ears when she did?"
Gohlm groaned, lifting the helm to take a drink just as the doors swung open with a howl, catching their attention as they turned. "You're bleeding my ears, Mel, there's nothing on it!" the voice came, easy to discern from the crowd as they grumbled, a burly man stepping into the buzzing tavern whilst fixing the dark browns of a fitted suit, straightening out the nonexistent crinkles threatening its appearance where the expression on them seemed tired of it, caught in the motions rather than actually paying any attention to it, the exhaustion no more apparent as he barely missed the curses from below him where another man that'd been leaving growled, "Watch it, Neil, you're a damn wall!" they protested, a level of confidence one might've found daring considering the man in blocking them if not for the fact of who they were as Neil smiled, apologizing and stepping off to the side before taking a look around. To the light shock of the three as the name traveled, Gohlm noted that along with the suit, he was cleanly shaven, bare until one noticed the mustache, the usual dark bushy bar atop his lips gelled up like a pair of whiskers. "That couldn't be" Gale muttered, pleasantly surprised as they watched him, his bright green eyes scanning over the room until they stopped, meeting Gale first who waved him over, beaming as he finally noticed Mel stepping in behind him whilst they made their way over.
"They were serious about the dress up?" Gale joked, landing for all but one as, surprised at what he was looking at after having glanced in the direction of the small commotion, Thrand frowned, eyes slightly widening in stunned silence before staring back at Gohlm, "I see now, this is a disease…" he deduced, shaking his head as Gohlm sighed whilst chugging down the rest of the glass, "We were going to tell you about that actually, it's a—"
"There's the lovebirds, early as usual!!" Neil bellowed, an arm landing over his neck like a solid bar of weights crashing down with enough force that he keeled forward a bit before being pulled halfway into a hug as the man joked, shaking his head in between the laughs whilst Mel sauntered up beside them and took a seat where someone left, "You coulds learn a thing or two from that, it'll serves ya well"
"Oh dear Theia" Neil sighed, "There ya go again, she's out to get me ya know? Not a single good word on the way here"
"I'm outs to saves ya job! And yous the one that insisted on us all playing dressing up" she argued as he groaned, melting there as though he'd dearly wished he really were melting, "I joked, I merely joked"
"Likes I'd believe that" She scoffed, tossing her head forward where it glimmered at the faint rings of jewelry, wait, accessories? Having noted Neil's change, it was even more astounding to note hers. Resting her head on her palm as she always did, her uniform was gone, replaced by a white blouse and a few silver accessories meant to accentuate that fact, a glimmering pendant around her neck, bangles on either wrist and a twitchy set of ears decorated no less well. Her yellow eyes flickered over the assortment of drinks lined behind the counter, not failing to notice that she was being stared at as she glanced off to the side with an amused smile, "Careful what's on your mind, Gohlm, I'd likes to spare ya from the comments that appearance's been letting on" she grinned, earning Neil's gaze who seemed not to have noticed, "Theia give me eyes, this you Gohlm?" He looked him up and down, a frown turning into amusement as the man laughed, "Thrand, ya seeing this? Val's already rubbed a fashion sense into him"
Thrand laughed as Neil patted them on the shoulders and pointed to a glass, "Hard fang, I've got no reservations tonight"
"Alcoholic, same's as him, harder even" Thrand raised a brow but turned around anyway, causing Gohlm to turn to the both of them after what felt like a few eternities of silence, "This…is new"
Mel chuckled, "You means you?"
Neil grinned, leaning towards Val as Gohlm mumbled under his breath at the joke, "How'd you get him out of it anyway?" he made a play to look around as though making sure no one was listening, "Was it…aloone time~?"
Mel laughed, wheezing at the comment, "Alone time? Crisis, Neil give him a break"
"Whaat~? I see no other way he'd be pried from that thing, the helmet's still on even" He squinted, rubbing his chin as though in deep thought, "So maybe he only agreed halfway…"
Gohlm scoffed, barely holding in the laugh threatening his lips as they chuckled. It wasn't long after that, that Thrand returned, sliding them their drinks as they downed the contents in gusto, brimming as they did whilst Mel shifted over for a better look at the ring, Gale's hand brought forward as he showed her where Neil's own attention seemed stuck on Gohlm's coat, tugging at a sleeve and admiring it as Thrand joked, laughter flowing between them; time hadn't changed a thing. Glancing down at the glass, his third one now half empty as he watched his reflection ripple across the surface and the helm staring back at him amongst the buzz, he sighed, a smile somewhere there, one could hear it.
"That's what you were laughing at?" Neil shook his head as Thrand chuckled, Mel couldn't take it seriously even as it was the second time she'd heard this, "That's dedication to the craft, Gohlm, proposing on the job? I'll have to try it someday"
Still laughing as she spoke, she downed the remaining contents of her glass and raised a brow, "Yous gots hopes you'll makes it that far withs someone?" She joked as Neil grumbled, pausing whilst she sunk onto the counter as her ears drooped limp, staring into her empty glass; "That's mores than I can say" she sighed before a chuckle, absentmindedly running a clawed finger around the rim of the glass and groaning as she caught a glimpse of her face on the corners of the glace—slightly flushed, "Damnit, I'm outs of it…"
Neil patted her on the back, "I have faith in ya, Gohlm's practically a miracle"
He groaned as Neil laughed, "Aye, after this, I bet I won't see ya much anyway. Good fun, ya know? Take us back"
"Not seeing us much?" Neil downed his glass, sighing as he shrugged, his face slightly flushed too. "Well, you're not planning on doing this forever? You put in your lives into this" he seemed to shake his head at something, "Why continue the job when life's turning around for ya?"
He ordered another drink as Mel followed, neither of them waiting long till they came back as the doors swung open again with a small ruckus as Neil grinned, "There's the rest of them!"