#no strings attached: eri & izak

[izakvoros]

location: lunar heights pub (night) with: @eri-mergo

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"Well, hell. It looks like we missed the band," Izak said to Eri as he walked into the pub. The musicians were packing up their sound gear and instruments, smiling as they did so. Musicians never smiled like that unless the gig went very well or absolute shit, and by the sparse clientele, it was easy to guess it was the latter.

Whatever. It just meant he didn't have to yell over sets, and that his chat between him and his band mate (well, that was up for debate since they typically just tended to practice with each other) could be a little more intimate. He lead Eri to one of his favorite booths toward the back where it had a great view of the front door and the venue.

Sliding into the booth, he flagged down the waitress to order a big dark ale, and once she left after getting their order, he leaned forward to put his elbows on the table. "So how's work going? I'm sure it's just a bunch of chicks asking for flowers on their shoulders or dudes wanting tree lines above their knees."

[izakvoros]

"Don't you feel like an asshole then," Izak teased.

"It's usually my priority to make them feel good before I ultimately leave. Doing the whole...special thing for a while isn't usually my M.O. Maybe one day that will change, but I'm young and never have experienced love past two weeks. The idea does sound nice though." He smiled briskly. "Hmm....that's a good question. I don't really look at anyone like they are being weird. Just drunk people doing drunk thing, but I did watch a guy throw up in the helmet of someone's fur suit. I don't know if that's weird or just gross and sucks for the furry that was at the party."

"Honestly, I just wanted a reason to bully you, but you're being very nice today." Eri admitted, feigning disappointment.

"VIP access, huh? That sounds fantastic, honestly. You sure know how to make a guy feel special." Eri had been talking musically, but if Izak wanted to flirt, Eri wasn't going to say no. He always enjoyed any amount of attention from his favorite people, but especially Izak. Something about him made Eri feel safe, yet at the same time, as if he was doing something rebellious, like he wasn't supposed to. "I can imagine. All those kids who haven't learned their limits yet are probably getting blackout drunk and doing stupid shit. What's the weirdest thing you've seen at a party?"

[izakvoros]

"Pretending? You don't know me that well then if you think I'm fake," Izak replied with a frown. Granted, he had quite the reputation for being a flake and a little unorthodox, but he had always tried to be accommodating and genial. "Hopefully you meant that as a joke. I don't want to be mean unless I have to be."

He sighed and downed another hefty portion of his beer, but Eri's comment made him giggle. "Oh man, you almost made me spill my drink," he said merrily, wiping droplets from the front of his drink. "But, I think you'll have to get in line. I'm a very eligible bachelor, don't you know? But, if you keep playing your cards right, I might let you get VIP access." He eyed Eri curiously. Surely he didn't mean for it to sound as flirty as it did, but Izak had no shame. "I always do. The university is filled with a bunch of creatures, especially when you involve alcohol."

"But all I want is to bully you, which is something money can't buy." He snorted. "You're the one who's pretending to be nice. I can handle it if you're mean. I might even find it funny."

"That's fair. You are almost done. I can't wait until I have you all for myself," he smirked, quickly pushing down the intrusive thoughts. Izak didn't need to be burdened with his insecurities. He had enough on his plate as it was, and Eri was just meant to be harmless fun. "How are those parties, by the way? Met anyone interesting?"

[izakvoros]

"Aww. Don't bring my inheritance into this. It's not my fault I was born in the one percent." He sighed and shook his head, feigning disappointment. "You know, you should really be a lot nicer to me. I can practically buy you anything you want if you just pretend to like me."

He ordered another two beers from the waitress, knowing it would be a lot easier on her feet if he did so. He was feeling extra thirsty tonight, and he wasn't entirely sure why, almost like his throat would close up with dryness at any moment. When she returned, he finished off his first and got right into the second. "Maybe I should. You are really fun to play with, and you have very nimble fingers for an old man. I bet the ladies and gays find it very provocative."

He hissed through a laugh but paused when he saw Eri's expression change rapidly. Maybe he said something wrong...it wouldn't have been the first time, of course, but he washed that feeling down with a sip of his beer. So strange it decided to come up, that sensation of feeling alone in a crowded room, when he hadn't felt it in so long. He licked at the foam on his lips when he sat the beer back down. "Eh, I mean, I'm close to finishing anyways. I only have a year left, so what would be the point? Plus, I enjoy the freedom of going and the parties and meeting new people, even if I might only have fun with them for a night. You're only young once, and I'd rather get the college experience out of the way when I'm young to officially enjoy it."

Izak gulped down half of his beer before setting it back down to twist it around on its coaster. “Hey, as long as you’re enjoying it, don’t listen to some brat with virgin skin,” he replied. Izak had been on the fence about getting tattoos. For one, he knew his parents wouldn’t like it, and he wasn’t much for the idea of a long-term commitment, even if it was just black ink. However, he did like the idea of the pain of being prodded like that. Would it make him feel like a warrior? He rarely had any moments in life that elevated his heart rate or transcend him into a state that could mimic the need for survival. It was silly to think that modern comforts found solutions to feel a little bit more primal, and that tattoo released just the same amount of energy as being attacked.

He stopped twisting his beer around. “It’s been the same. School has kept me busy, but I’m afraid if I don’t get my shit together I’ll lower my GPA. Been having too much fun with others.” He paused to down another quarter of the beer. “I don’t even know why I went to school other than to just give me something to do, but I’m regretting it because I could be playing music all day with you instead.”

[izakvoros]

Izak gulped down half of his beer before setting it back down to twist it around on its coaster. “Hey, as long as you’re enjoying it, don’t listen to some brat with virgin skin,” he replied. Izak had been on the fence about getting tattoos. For one, he knew his parents wouldn’t like it, and he wasn’t much for the idea of a long-term commitment, even if it was just black ink. However, he did like the idea of the pain of being prodded like that. Would it make him feel like a warrior? He rarely had any moments in life that elevated his heart rate or transcend him into a state that could mimic the need for survival. It was silly to think that modern comforts found solutions to feel a little bit more primal, and that tattoo released just the same amount of energy as being attacked.

He stopped twisting his beer around. “It’s been the same. School has kept me busy, but I’m afraid if I don’t get my shit together I’ll lower my GPA. Been having too much fun with others.” He paused to down another quarter of the beer. “I don’t even know why I went to school other than to just give me something to do, but I’m regretting it because I could be playing music all day with you instead.”

location: lunar heights pub (night) with: @eri-mergo

𓇼 - - - - - - - - 🩸 - - - - - - - - 𓇼

"Well, hell. It looks like we missed the band," Izak said to Eri as he walked into the pub. The musicians were packing up their sound gear and instruments, smiling as they did so. Musicians never smiled like that unless the gig went very well or absolute shit, and by the sparse clientele, it was easy to guess it was the latter.

Whatever. It just meant he didn't have to yell over sets, and that his chat between him and his band mate (well, that was up for debate since they typically just tended to practice with each other) could be a little more intimate. He lead Eri to one of his favorite booths toward the back where it had a great view of the front door and the venue.

Sliding into the booth, he flagged down the waitress to order a big dark ale, and once she left after getting their order, he leaned forward to put his elbows on the table. "So how's work going? I'm sure it's just a bunch of chicks asking for flowers on their shoulders or dudes wanting tree lines above their knees."

[eri-mergo]

"Work is going fine. I enjoy doing flowers and trees. That might change as I get more experience, but they're not so bad right now. Then again, anything is better than my last job." He laughed. "What about you? Still enjoying your free time?"

Of course, Eri was joking: he had plenty of free time these days. He was glad to only be a part time worker at the tattoo shop. He did enjoy what he did, but there was always the weight that he needed to do well to keep people coming back. He did enjoy the artistic process of tattooing people. But there was always that knowledge that it was just for money.

He enjoyed his time with Izak a lot more. It was art in a different way. Playing the bass was something he'd been doing for... what, almost 20 years now? It was nice to just have little sessions between friends. It took a lot of pressure off him, and gave him the freedom to do what he wanted with no strings attached. Sometimes he felt like a greasy old man reaching back for his bygone college days in spite of never having gone to college. And he wasn't terribly old, just 32. But he was far enough ahead of Izak to feel ancient sometimes.

He ordered a light beer for himself, knowing that he'd be here for a while, and not wanting to get too drunk too fast. Thanked the server before he turned his attention back to Izak. "So. How's life treating you?"

location: lunar heights pub (night) with: @eri-mergo

𓇼 - - - - - - - - 🩸 - - - - - - - - 𓇼

"Well, hell. It looks like we missed the band," Izak said to Eri as he walked into the pub. The musicians were packing up their sound gear and instruments, smiling as they did so. Musicians never smiled like that unless the gig went very well or absolute shit, and by the sparse clientele, it was easy to guess it was the latter.

Whatever. It just meant he didn't have to yell over sets, and that his chat between him and his band mate (well, that was up for debate since they typically just tended to practice with each other) could be a little more intimate. He lead Eri to one of his favorite booths toward the back where it had a great view of the front door and the venue.

Sliding into the booth, he flagged down the waitress to order a big dark ale, and once she left after getting their order, he leaned forward to put his elbows on the table. "So how's work going? I'm sure it's just a bunch of chicks asking for flowers on their shoulders or dudes wanting tree lines above their knees."