Eliot

[fawnthefae]

 Fin was supposed to be taking him to meet a friend, but when he'd gotten a job at the last minute, he'd insisted Fawn Go without him.

"Eliot's nice," his brother had said. "You'll like him, Fawn. Trust me."

And so Fawn had set off to the bar. It was nearly closing time and he moved through the dwindling crowd, heading towards the bar. He was the spitting image of Fin, a bit slighter, his hair much longer. He also dressed far more casually than Fin, favouring tunics over robes.

Nervous, he took a seat at the bar and looked around.

Comments

[eliot_thespectacular]

"Oh." Eliot's face settled into sympathy. "That must have been really difficult. I mean, even though I left for good reasons and much of what I left behind was bad... it was still difficult. How are you doing now?"

[fawnthefae]

Fawn shrugged, because he didn't really know. He was surviving, that was all they could ever hope to do anywhere.

"You left bad things?" he asked.

[eliot_thespectacular]

"It's a very long story," Eliot said. "But the short version is..." He chuckled self consciously. "I was a king. But it was very dangerous, and things went badly, and... I had to flee for my life. So now I'm just a bartender. Which mostly I probably prefer."

[fawnthefae]

"Oh," Fawn replied. "You have a crown still? I have a crown, so does Fin. You should wear your crown if you still have it, and make people say nice things before you give them their drink."

[eliot_thespectacular]

Eliot laughed. "I confess, I left my crown behind. But aren't I handsome and charming enough for a kind word?" He winked.

[fawnthefae]

Fawn considered him for a beat, then nodded.

"Yeah, you are, but crowns are still nice."

[eliot_thespectacular]

"It did look very good on me," Eliot sighed. "God I really miss the clothes... I bet you look good in a crown, too."

[fawnthefae]

"It never stays on," Fawn admitted with a frown. "Fin's does, his hair is..."

He wiggled his fingers, mimicking the wild curls and waves. Fawn didn't really have that. His hair was long and almost pin straight.

"I was never good at being royal," he admitted with a small shrug.

[eliot_thespectacular]

"I still bet you looked good," Eliot said. "But I get that. I was a pretty shit king, overall. But I'm a very good bartender."

[fawnthefae]

"What makes you think that? Just because it went badly doesn't mean you were bad," Fawn said.

[eliot_thespectacular]

Eliot hesitated, and then said, "I suppose I can be a bit hard on myself," he said.

[fawnthefae]

"You have to be nice to yourself. If you're not nice to you, why will anyone else be?" Fawn replied, shrugging slightly.

[eliot_thespectacular]

"That is very wise advice," Eliot said, "though..." He chuckled. "Sometimes easier said that done. Though on the bright side, I do think that I am a very snappy dresser, and a very good bartender, and decent company. My shift is actually about to end, if you want to hang out."

[fawnthefae]

"Okay!" Fawn said cheerfully. "I would like that, Eliot."

[eliot_thespectacular]

"Oh, great," said Eliot, smiling. "Why don't you finish your drink, and I'll just clean up quickly and we can be on our way."

[fawnthefae]

Fawn nodded, finishing his drink and looking around the bar.

It was an interesting space, but not somewhere he usually would find himself. Still, Eliot seemed nice, and the drink had been tasty.

[eliot_thespectacular]

Just a few minutes later, Eliot walked around the bar to join him. "Any suggestions?" he asked. "We could go to the garden if you like." It was the one place on the ship that didn't seem as much like a ship that wasn't a holodeck.

[fawnthefae]

"I would like that," Fawn nodded. "The garden is my favourite place here."

[eliot_thespectacular]

"Ah, very good choice," said Eliot, pleased that he'd chosen correctly. "I understand that the botanicals come from a lot of different planets that people on the ship call home. Are there any from yours?"

[fawnthefae]

"Um, one. ...Okay a few, but I'm not supposed to talk about it," Fawn admitted sheepishly.

[eliot_thespectacular]

Eliot looked confused. "Why are you not...? I mean, only if you want to tell me."

[fawnthefae]

"I had to sign special papers for one and promise not to share with people. They said it not good. Um- Not okay? Allowed, that's the word. Not allowed," Fawn explained.

[eliot_thespectacular]

"A plant?" Eliot said.

Then remembered hallucinogenic carrots that had fucked him up once.

"Oh, a plant? In the garden, really?"

[fawnthefae]

"It's for a ceremony!" Fawn said quickly. "Not bad things."

[eliot_thespectacular]

"Well... bad is subjective anyway," Eliot said with a little smile. "Would you show me? I mean, I'm just curious. You don't have to... but I won't tell anymore. Would you tell me about the ceremony?"