VICTORY PARTY
~Buttermellows
One cold night, Wallace a lanky young lad with droopy eyes and Eris’ co knight invited his fellow newly proclaimed knights to have a swig of beer at Tom’s, the best beer getaway in Lightwaters, to celebrate their success in training. Tom's was an old bar that smelled of beer and well, old people but still everyone and anyone preferred the place because of it's hospitable workers and an aura that reminds them of Lightwaters.
Eris entered the bar and was greeted by a toothy Tom who was busy cleaning and wiping off a couple of mugs. Eris loved Tom like he was her own grandfather and she visits the bar to talk to him mostly because he doesn't want her to have more than a glass of beer because of her "issues".
“Not too much beer, ye hear me lass,” Tom said with a wide grin , “ye know how ye ar’ when ye start to get drunk.”
“I know, I know. I’ll just have a glass or two. You see Tom I’m a knight now and I must act accordingly,” Eris replied as she twisted her arm to show Tom the sigil that was branded on her skin, officially marking her as a knight in the Order of Light. Tom clearly remembers, despite his old age, Eris' neverending stories about her future adventures once she becomes a knight.
Tom raised his brows at her, clearly not trusting her not getting drunk. More than a dozen times did Eris became drunk, none of which was a pretty sight. There was even that one time where Eris openly accused a travelling gent for being a spy from the other kingdom, Tom had to apologize and explain to the man in Eris' behalf.
“Oy, you lad!” Tom turned his head and shouted at a knight with midnight blue hair, Leander, one of Eris’ company, “ye better watch over this missy and make sure she drinks only a glass or two, ye understand?”
Leander nodded his head with a slight hesitation, he didn't want to seem too eager. He was good looking and also finished top in the academy. Many young ladies wanted his affection despite knowing how he feels for Eris, ten years of secretly liking her, waiting for that one moment to tell her how he truly feels without losing a limb . “Sure sir,” he replied to Tom who eyed him intently.
“Don’t worry Lee,” Eris said as she sat beside him and patted his shoulder , “I can handle myself. You know I’m a tough girl.”
There was no doubt in Leander's mind that Eris was in fact a tough girl it's just that drinking isn't exactly her forte.
Everyone was getting comfortable as they took their seats around a long rectangular table, patting each others' back and shaking every hand they could grab in congratulations. A tall lady with a pixie cut blonde hair named Fina approached their table and took their orders, she was undeniably pretty with her almond colored eyes and a few specks of freckles on her nose. Wallace ordered the beers, it was on him, he said. He was the one who threw the party in the first place. When Fina nodded and went to the counter to get their orders, everyone cheered on Wallace, knowing that he has been crushing on the shy but lovely girl since forever.
The friends laughed and talked clearly enjoying each other’s company. They laughed about those times they had at the academy that seemed embarrassing and scary back then, gossiped about their superiors’ deepest darkest secrets and discussing the possibilities of their future missions.
After a glass of beer Eris started to feel woozy but tried to ignore it in fear that she’ll be called a pussy, she rubbed her forehead with her forefingers as she tried not to throw up. However Wallace glanced in her direction and noticed that she was getting drunk. Perfect, he thought. This might be Leander's lucky night. He then gave his best friend a nudge and whispered in his ear.
“You know bro, I think it is safe to do the moves tonight,” he said as he gave Leander a sly wink and made 'kissy' faces at him.
“ I’m not that type of guy who takes advantage of a drunken girl,” Leander retorted.
The laughs and shouting continued, the others are oblivious to the little talk Wallace and Leander are having.
“Who’s drunk?” Eris asked Leander loudly making everyone stop what they were doing. They were starting to fear that she was drunk already.
“Uhm, I think you’ve had too much drink Eris,” A blonde haired girl named Alice said, the worry was evident in her shaking voice.
“No haha! It was only my second glass how can I be drunk Kylie.”
Everyone went silent and gave each other glances. Their worst fear has been confirmed. Eris was in fact drunk.
“Why are you looking at me like I’m drunk or something,” Eris said, her words slurred.
“Because you are,” Wallace replied.
“I am so not drunk,” she answered with a hiccup, her face was flushed.
“Well if you’re really not drunk then…” Wallace started, a smile playing on his lips. Maybe it is the perfect opportunity for Leander to show how he feels for Eris and oh how fun will it be to let Eris do something she'll regret when she regains her senses, “oh never mind, only a non-drunk person can do this and obviously you are drunk.”
“Oh no I am not drunk, I can prove it to you. What is it you want me to do?”
“Nevermind, I know you can’t do it and it is really too much for you especially in that state.”
“I said I am not drunk and I will prove it to you what do you want me to-“
“I want you to kiss Leander,” Wallace said, not even letting her finish.
"What?!" Leander butted in, he couldn't believe Wallace would dare embarrass him in front of their peers, although the others seemed to look more interested now.
“What? Ha! I can do that, that is very simple,” Eris said confidently. She crossed her arms in acceptance to Wallace's challenge.
Leander glanced around and felt something inside his stomach, something heavy and ticklish at the same time. He tried to stop himself from smiling, bearing in mind that the girl he’s had a crush on for ten years is going to kiss him just because she is drunk. "Nothing real...just for fun" he thought to himself
Eris leaned in close and gave Leander a peck on his cheek.
“Done!” Eris said laughing.
“That was not counted, kiss him in the lips and not in the cheeks,” The real Kylie said. She and a couple of other girls started giggling.
Leander on the other hand felt relieved and disappointed at the same time. He had always wondered what it feels like to kiss her but he also doesn't want his first kiss to be done out of drunkenness.
“Why didn’t you say so?” Eris said still smiling as if it wasn’t a big deal at all.
She leaned in closer to Leander until their lips were inches away.
Leander closed his eyes, his heart beating harder against his shirt, he couldn’t help it he leaned closer as well but their lips were still apart.
Eris opened her mouth to speak, “you know I’ve always…”
“Smack!” Eris’ head fell hard on Leander’s chest. Apparently she knocked herself out with the amount of beer she drank. Leander caught her on time, another disappointing moment for him indeed. The new knights started to laugh once again after the tense moment.
“Haha, maybe next time Lee,” Wallace said as he gave Leander a gentle pat, giving him mock sympathy.
“You should probably get her home,” A red haired boy named Arthur said from across the table.
Leander stood up and carried Eris on his back, “Okay guys, I should probably make sure she gets home safe.” It was almost midnight, it would be dangerous for a girl to travel alone, most especially a drunk girl.
Tom shook his head as Leander and Eris approached him ,” Ay, She drank more than two glasses of beer?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Leander replied. His heart still pounding hard.
“Hmm, ye know lad she’s lucky yer always there for her.”
“If only she knows that,” Leander replied shyly as he shifted Eris on his back, positioning her comfortably so she wouldn’t fall.
Tom grinned at Leander, “ ehh, bring her home now, just confess later.”
Leander smiled back as he turned around and went out of the bar. He was going to carry her along the way and he wouldn’t mind. From the moment he realized he liked her, he already decided that he'll do everything just to keep her safe, even though he knows they'll always just be friends.
Eris entered the bar and was greeted by a toothy Tom who was busy cleaning and wiping off a couple of mugs. Eris loved Tom like he was her own grandfather and she visits the bar to talk to him mostly because he doesn't want her to have more than a glass of beer because of her "issues".
“Not too much beer, ye hear me lass,” Tom said with a wide grin , “ye know how ye ar’ when ye start to get drunk.”
“I know, I know. I’ll just have a glass or two. You see Tom I’m a knight now and I must act accordingly,” Eris replied as she twisted her arm to show Tom the sigil that was branded on her skin, officially marking her as a knight in the Order of Light. Tom clearly remembers, despite his old age, Eris' neverending stories about her future adventures once she becomes a knight.
Tom raised his brows at her, clearly not trusting her not getting drunk. More than a dozen times did Eris became drunk, none of which was a pretty sight. There was even that one time where Eris openly accused a travelling gent for being a spy from the other kingdom, Tom had to apologize and explain to the man in Eris' behalf.
“Oy, you lad!” Tom turned his head and shouted at a knight with midnight blue hair, Leander, one of Eris’ company, “ye better watch over this missy and make sure she drinks only a glass or two, ye understand?”
Leander nodded his head with a slight hesitation, he didn't want to seem too eager. He was good looking and also finished top in the academy. Many young ladies wanted his affection despite knowing how he feels for Eris, ten years of secretly liking her, waiting for that one moment to tell her how he truly feels without losing a limb . “Sure sir,” he replied to Tom who eyed him intently.
“Don’t worry Lee,” Eris said as she sat beside him and patted his shoulder , “I can handle myself. You know I’m a tough girl.”
There was no doubt in Leander's mind that Eris was in fact a tough girl it's just that drinking isn't exactly her forte.
Everyone was getting comfortable as they took their seats around a long rectangular table, patting each others' back and shaking every hand they could grab in congratulations. A tall lady with a pixie cut blonde hair named Fina approached their table and took their orders, she was undeniably pretty with her almond colored eyes and a few specks of freckles on her nose. Wallace ordered the beers, it was on him, he said. He was the one who threw the party in the first place. When Fina nodded and went to the counter to get their orders, everyone cheered on Wallace, knowing that he has been crushing on the shy but lovely girl since forever.
The friends laughed and talked clearly enjoying each other’s company. They laughed about those times they had at the academy that seemed embarrassing and scary back then, gossiped about their superiors’ deepest darkest secrets and discussing the possibilities of their future missions.
After a glass of beer Eris started to feel woozy but tried to ignore it in fear that she’ll be called a pussy, she rubbed her forehead with her forefingers as she tried not to throw up. However Wallace glanced in her direction and noticed that she was getting drunk. Perfect, he thought. This might be Leander's lucky night. He then gave his best friend a nudge and whispered in his ear.
“You know bro, I think it is safe to do the moves tonight,” he said as he gave Leander a sly wink and made 'kissy' faces at him.
“ I’m not that type of guy who takes advantage of a drunken girl,” Leander retorted.
The laughs and shouting continued, the others are oblivious to the little talk Wallace and Leander are having.
“Who’s drunk?” Eris asked Leander loudly making everyone stop what they were doing. They were starting to fear that she was drunk already.
“Uhm, I think you’ve had too much drink Eris,” A blonde haired girl named Alice said, the worry was evident in her shaking voice.
“No haha! It was only my second glass how can I be drunk Kylie.”
Everyone went silent and gave each other glances. Their worst fear has been confirmed. Eris was in fact drunk.
“Why are you looking at me like I’m drunk or something,” Eris said, her words slurred.
“Because you are,” Wallace replied.
“I am so not drunk,” she answered with a hiccup, her face was flushed.
“Well if you’re really not drunk then…” Wallace started, a smile playing on his lips. Maybe it is the perfect opportunity for Leander to show how he feels for Eris and oh how fun will it be to let Eris do something she'll regret when she regains her senses, “oh never mind, only a non-drunk person can do this and obviously you are drunk.”
“Oh no I am not drunk, I can prove it to you. What is it you want me to do?”
“Nevermind, I know you can’t do it and it is really too much for you especially in that state.”
“I said I am not drunk and I will prove it to you what do you want me to-“
“I want you to kiss Leander,” Wallace said, not even letting her finish.
"What?!" Leander butted in, he couldn't believe Wallace would dare embarrass him in front of their peers, although the others seemed to look more interested now.
“What? Ha! I can do that, that is very simple,” Eris said confidently. She crossed her arms in acceptance to Wallace's challenge.
Leander glanced around and felt something inside his stomach, something heavy and ticklish at the same time. He tried to stop himself from smiling, bearing in mind that the girl he’s had a crush on for ten years is going to kiss him just because she is drunk. "Nothing real...just for fun" he thought to himself
Eris leaned in close and gave Leander a peck on his cheek.
“Done!” Eris said laughing.
“That was not counted, kiss him in the lips and not in the cheeks,” The real Kylie said. She and a couple of other girls started giggling.
Leander on the other hand felt relieved and disappointed at the same time. He had always wondered what it feels like to kiss her but he also doesn't want his first kiss to be done out of drunkenness.
“Why didn’t you say so?” Eris said still smiling as if it wasn’t a big deal at all.
She leaned in closer to Leander until their lips were inches away.
Leander closed his eyes, his heart beating harder against his shirt, he couldn’t help it he leaned closer as well but their lips were still apart.
Eris opened her mouth to speak, “you know I’ve always…”
“Smack!” Eris’ head fell hard on Leander’s chest. Apparently she knocked herself out with the amount of beer she drank. Leander caught her on time, another disappointing moment for him indeed. The new knights started to laugh once again after the tense moment.
“Haha, maybe next time Lee,” Wallace said as he gave Leander a gentle pat, giving him mock sympathy.
“You should probably get her home,” A red haired boy named Arthur said from across the table.
Leander stood up and carried Eris on his back, “Okay guys, I should probably make sure she gets home safe.” It was almost midnight, it would be dangerous for a girl to travel alone, most especially a drunk girl.
Tom shook his head as Leander and Eris approached him ,” Ay, She drank more than two glasses of beer?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Leander replied. His heart still pounding hard.
“Hmm, ye know lad she’s lucky yer always there for her.”
“If only she knows that,” Leander replied shyly as he shifted Eris on his back, positioning her comfortably so she wouldn’t fall.
Tom grinned at Leander, “ ehh, bring her home now, just confess later.”
Leander smiled back as he turned around and went out of the bar. He was going to carry her along the way and he wouldn’t mind. From the moment he realized he liked her, he already decided that he'll do everything just to keep her safe, even though he knows they'll always just be friends.