castleinthemist | 02-- Things might yet turn around.

So he's taken to spending quite a bit at time in the common area of the residential chamber. Usually? Chilling out at the table or finding a nice little niche to settle in. Right then? He'd found a stone bench near a window that looked out onto the courtyard. On the opposite bench, a green-gray crate with numbers on it and a packing label. Someone got a package today. How? Probably a good question.

He'd gotten it the night before at the fountain while he was still restlessly awake. Didn't really take him long to figure out what had happen once he decided to throw a coin in and make a wish but he didn't think for a second that it would work. About two hours later? He asked again. Past midnight.

Now. It was late afternoon and he'd held off from indulging long enough. He settled onto the window seat, propped a leg up on the opposite stone ledge and plucked an apple from the crate of perfectly ripe fruit. Strawberries, mangoes, apricots, grapes, apples and pears. Perfect. He took a bite out of the apple, sighing contently.

So he'd lost his nerve for a spell. So those damn Shadows sapped a bit of his courage away. Didn't bother him so much right now. He'd just have this and enjoy his little birthday eating, drinking and being merry. Like you're supposed to do.

"Bottoms up." He said, drinking the last out of his flask before looking to the bottle to fill it back up.

[OOC: A window seat are common structures in castles. They look like this. Feel free to join Duo and have a drink, eat some good food, he's happy to share and plenty to go around. Also I may prefer prose but you can also respond in comment spam. I really don't care either way.]

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"Join the club. I'm tired of everything. Dealing with everything." War, this... Trying to wrap his mind around the impossible. There was little solace to be had in a place like this.

"You been sleeping okay the last few days? Cos' I haven't. And it's not even that. Just everything else. This place is insane, back home is insane... It's the same shit." He hands the flask over to his double and turns his head back to the window, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Duo took it gratefully. Really he wasn't one for hard alcohol, usually a beer or two would do him just fine, but lately with the way things had been going he needed that edge taken off just as much as his double did.

"Fuck no. I don't see how anyone can sleep in this place..."

"But the beds smell like the barn the wool blanket was made of! There's dust everywhere, and oh hey! Guess what? The bathroom is thirty yards away! What a great mansion we live in. Three square meals a day... So you're catching on to my sarcasm here, right?" Duo joked, with a bit of malice in his voice despite the smile. He reached over for a cup he'd grabbed and poured himself some from the bottle on the floor. Hm.

He reached over for a strawberry and dipped it into the liquor and took a bite. That ain't half bad right there. See? He was being polite and holding off the drinking before, but now? He just wanted to stumble on back to his bunker drunk. Either that or pass out right where he was.

"Noooo, I didn't catch that at all," Duo snorted, rolling his eyes as he hit the flask again, starting to feel a buzz building already.

"Man, fuck everything. Just... everything."

"I'll drink to that." He said, offering his cup to click against the flask before taking down a gulp. He'd been drinking for a while before Duo game, offset only slightly by the food he'd been eating, but his cheeks were flushed now and it was pretty clear he was tipsy.

And Duo was about two steps behind his other, having had very little to eat that day before the fruit, and being lighter and smaller than his double.

"Of all the fuckin' places to get dragged to... never thought I'd want to see my stupid empty apartment so badly," he continued to muse in a grumbling tone after clicking the flask and cup together.

"I was going to wake up to a nice breakfast get together-- Eat out for lunch... Burger world for dinner. Moving into a new place with a friend of mine." Roomates, gotta love em.

"So I was actually thinking about having a life, right? First time for everything. Then this shit. Fuck it. Ain't even fucking fair either." Aw man, that face again. He pats his double's shoulder.

"I finally had everything worked out for the scrap yard... working with Hilde was easier than datin' her. Go figure. Never could work that out, but I didn't care so long as we were still friends..." Duo muttered, curling his knees up to his chest and resting his arm across them. "It's not fair... this place doesn't give two shits if you're just startin' a life or finally getting settled in to one. Fuckin' selfish castle..."

"You..." Duo started, then grinned widely. "You know Hilde?" Good! One good thing they had in common. "She's the best part broker I've ever met. And one of my pals now." Just not really anything romantic either.

"I didn't... Me an' her didn't really do anything either. We're good friends now but beyond that it's just business. But there's this other girl. I was really thinkin' about askin' her out an' everything. Ky was her name." He took another sip, wishing he had something to lean on. Scoot closer to the wall.

He moved to the wall and adjusted himself so his feet were just barely touching Duo's thigh on the seat.

"Heh... she is... she's a good person. Guess we're just not compatible or whatever, but like I said, I didn't care so long as she was around..."

He let out a quiet laugh, rubbing his eyes. He wasn't crying or anything, but his eyes were feeling tired and a little heavy.

"... you ever get back, you should go for it."

He was tired too. Exhausted almost. He reached over for the top of the container of fruit and shut it tight. The fruit would keep til the next day, maybe longer.

"I hear ya. Hilde's a pistol, that's for damn sure. Don't mind having her a round one bit. As for Kyla. Christ-- She's a babe, man. I almost got myself an actress girlfriend."

"See? All the more reason go for it, man! After this place? All this bullshit? I don't care what happens when I get home. No more missed opportunities!"

His voice rose for a moment, but he went quiet just as quickly, a sulky tone coming to it.

"... not that we got any fuckin' opportunities here..."

All the words coming out of his doubles mouth? So up lifting. But why'd he look like he was so damn depressed? Oh right. Cause' he was.

"I hear ya, man. But y'don't know that." Duo pokes his double with the toe of his boot. "Maybe Ky'll and one of her girlfriends'll show up one day. Huh?" He nudged him again.

"You don't wanna..." He yawns. "You don't wanna let this place defeat you so easily either."

"I know..." Duo muttered quietly, wrapping his arms around his knees tighter, the now-closed flask hanging loosely from his hand. "I know... I just... I had it, yehknow... ? I finally had that damn normal life..."

Heavy with good food and alcohol, and a lot of emotions both good and bad, he was already starting to fall asleep.

He downed the rest of his drink, setting the cup on one of the grooves by the window as he nestled his head into the corner of the wall. "Me too."

They had the same problem. Same hopes and dreams shattered by coming here. And here they were, drinking together and being depressed together, on their birthday. Seemed about right to him! He'd be happy to let his double lean against him if he wanted. Suddenly? He found his eyelids just a little too heavy to lift.

"I'm done. Just... So tired of every goddamn thing."

And he did slump against his double, closer to sleep than before and about ready to give in to it.

"Same... hate this castle..."

Duo adjusted himself so he was more comfortable, looking up blankly at the stone ceiling of their little hideaway.

"HmmMM." Sleep was quickly taking him, and he yawned, settling in. Night, kid.

02-- Things might yet turn around.

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