"I'll be with ya in a bit, gotta go report in to my damn parole officer... I'll be fine, go on without me, get started on the grog! Meet all kindsa folks at shit like this, show 'em how a Barone handles their liquor!"

Was what Fiammetta's father had commanded her to do only a short while ago. Though much of the festival had been spent with Esperia and Baldo, getting the two acquainted and generally enjoying the company, Fia now found herself by herself for a moment. Baldo was, as he'd said, busy checking in with parole after keeping them waiting, while Esperia was meeting up with some friends of her own. Though the two betrothed girls seemed nigh inseparable, they both agreed to make the most of this festival to have fun with what friends they'd made in their journeys. And, perhaps, also make some new ones along the way.

And what greater tool was there for making friends than good ol' alcohol? After a short walk, Fia had strolled up to one of the outdoor bar-like establishments at the festival, still adorned with flowers like everything else. Joining the masses there, she got a pint of ale from the bartender, receiving it in a damn big mug for her enjoyment. She hoped she didn't spill any on her kimono. Looking around, there were a few groups to have fun with, but a swig of liquid courage would help first. Bringing the mug to her lips, Fia chugged down a fair portion of out, before setting it down hard and breathing a pleasant sigh.

"Now that's the good stuff..."

"Bwah!" Kurdran blurted out, as he walked down the street with a bit of energy in his steps. "For free stuff, that was surprisingly decent!" Honestly he had already had a bit of a good time here. New in town, and immediately someone offers him a free meal to eat and a free drink to drink. His full gut made his kimono bounce about, as it had a bit of hard time keeping shut.

Honestly, the drinking was propably not the best idea for him in hindsight. It had given him a bit of energy to do things and what not, but what would the guy back in Baska think about seeing the guy he worked so hard on making a kimono for looking ridiculous? Honestly, he should have propably come with him, if he wanted to make sure he handled himself... With the meal eaten, he could propably go for some kind of game or two to burn it down though. Perhaps there were those bobbable apples, or pullable strings? Would be nice to get something from those. They could help him jog his memory if he happened to drink too much again. Because wasting this kind of a chance to being straight would be outright stupid...

...Maybe he could go grab a proper drink now. None of that fancy shizzle he had previously. A big mug of beer was what he needed. He continued wobbling about, with his mohawk brushing into people awkwardly, as he checked around to  see a proper bar stall... "Hmmm..." and he did find one! And with more company of course. Good! All the drinking always made him very talkative. Not that he wasn`t even without it. If that girl in black was here, he would propably actually punch her posh face instead of just settling it with insults though! He chuckled at his own thoughts.

As he made it to the stall, he pulled himself a chair, and sat on it... sadly the chair was high enough, that his legs didn`t properly reach the ground, his toes only gracing it. He happened to hear the girl next to her praise the stuff she had gotten for herself. He rolled a couple of coins on the table. "Same stuff as hers. Got some stuff to melt over here!" He laughed as he patted his stomach. His mug hit the table very soon, as he lifted it up and start chugging with loud glugs... Only to proceed to spit a bit of it out. "Bleh! You call this beer!? This stuffs light as a breeze!" Seems like he was already ranting to nobody in particular after sitting down...

"Man... I really oughta go drinkin' more often..." Fia lamented as she took another swig from the mug, savoring the lovely liquid within. Hopefully, with her father released, she could share a drink with him more often, like she'd always hoped she'd be able to. As other than that, she was rather short on drinking buddies... Esperia just liked to see Fia get tipsy, and her Rune Knight pals... Well, they weren't too keen on the stuff after last time.

The sound of a stool scraping on the ground from beside her drew Fia's attention, as she glanced to her side to be immediately confused by the fact there didn't seem to be anyone there. Then she looked down a bit, and lo and behold, a dwarf had decided to take a seat behind her. First time she'd ever seen one.

Watching with a raised brow, Fia observed the man ordering the same ale she had... Only to be rather displeased by how light it was. Being the Barone she was, Fiammetta was irked in an instant and could hardly stop herself from trying to defend her stubborn pride.

"Tch, this shit is just fer warmin' up!" Fia declared untruthfully as she downed the remaining ale, slamming the mug down heartily. Her cheeks were already starting to redden, but she wasn't about to let this little man imply she was a lightweight!

"Now, yer a little fella, but yer talkin' big, so let's see ya put yer money where yer mouth is!" Fia proclaimed with a challengers confidence, before signaling the bartender. "Oi, give us somethin' hard over here! Whatever it is dwarves drink."

The girl had, rather, unfortunately, not been aware of just how notoriously heavy drinkers dwarves were. So her challenge was certainly headed for disaster, unbeknownst to her.

"Heh, let's see where ya can keep all this liquor, Shortstack!"

Kurdran had always been towards more tough stuff. Part of it came from most of the work he did back in Oak being very frustrating in nature, and the tough stuff bringing him back down. And Kurdran was not the sort of person to hold his opinion when chance came... especially when intoxicated. "Of course a flower festival would only give out the light stuff... Dang beauty queens don`t wanna even enjoy the tough things in life!" ...Admittedly, it was maybe a bit too easy for him to say that.

Talking about beauty queens, the lady next to her seemed quite a bit miffed about what he had said... And for surprisingly good reason too! Kurdran looked towards her with his eyes thrown wide. "Ah! So thats why then? Guess some people need to start a bit slow..." Admittedly, even he liked to talk during the first few cups, before he got the intoxication properly going. "I shall respect that then!" He brought the mug back to his lips and finished the shallow and weak drink, with a small burp to show it. Guess it was decent when it slid down your throat without anything extra.

The girl had not had enough though, as she proceeded to challenge the dwarf... And he couldn`t help but smile wide. "Money where my mouth is? Hah! That`s where the beer goes, princess!" The girl was clearly as proud as he was, though taking how she wanted to take it slow, Kurdran decided to slam his hand on the table. "Pffft, you wanna melt yer tongue off? If you need a warm up, we go up one level first!" He pinged a coin in the bartenders direction. "Bring us Oaken sizzler! That city atleast knew how to make a beer that leaves a lasting memory!"

Admittedly, asking for another cities drink was propably a bit rude, but he wanted keep this a fair and fun game! It would be rude to just beat her completely in one mugchug. And the bartender did provide the duo with these two drinks that bubbled furiously with an almost golden sheen. The girl sent one more taunt his way too, and as always, Kurdran was immediately ready to return the favour.

"Bah! Believe me, I am already playing handicapped! I am stuffed!" He slapped his belly again, proceeding to point towards the lady. "And believe me, if those milktankers of yours don`t store beer too, yer stomach ain`t gonna be handling even this! Observe!"

He proceeded to grab his own mug of "oaken sizzler", and after a few loud gulps, he slammed it back down on the table. He had to let out a loud sigh. The bubbles had gone up his nose! He shook his head, as his mohawk and mane of hair followed the motion. "Ohohoho! Too fast! Too fast!" He took a deep breath through his nose, as he tried to recuperate. "Shee? Even a profeddional lige me id having drouble!" Admittedly, the beer itself was not as strong as he was boasting, but he was clearly trying to keep himself on top!

The dwarf had fortunately bitten Fia's lame excuse, though his reaction still pissed her off a bit. "Oi, I said warmin' up, not startin' off slow!" She snapped, her stubborn pride once again wounded by the proud and loudmouthed dwarf. Fia watched with an almost impressed look as that same short man easily downed his remaining drink in no time at all. The Barone girl had always heard that that typically, the bigger you were, the more you could handle. Dwarves were apparently the exception to that rule.

Her challenge was met with just as much eagerness, prompting Fia to smirk down at the dwarf as he ordered some drink Fia hadn't yet heard of. "Tch, let's see what yer 'level one' is, Shortstack. And watch who yer callin' princess! The name's Fia, not that yer gonna 'member it once ya drink yerself silly tryna beat me." Fiammetta taunted heartily, as their drinks arrived shortly after. They looked pretty damned impressive, bubbling as much as they were, and Fia couldn't help but realize this guy knew his alcohol. Regardless of how this challenge went, this day might just net her a new drinking buddy by the end of it.

The dwarf's retort earned a scowl from Fia, as she snapped back it him. "Fuck are ya callin' milktankers, jackass!?" She growled, before observing the short man's drinking technique. Her eyebrows raised as the bubbling liquid disappeared in a matter of seconds, a feat made even more impressive by how hard the stuff seemed. But Fia wasn't about to be outdone.

"Professional, my ass! This stuff ain't shit, Beernose!" Fia declared foolishly, before snatching her own mug and sending down the gullet. After a few chugs, she almost choked, but managed to hide it by slamming the mug back down herself. Her cheeks were noticeably red by now, her body was starting to feel the buzz. "Shee? I'm fine! Yeeeer gonna hafta do better 'an thaat..." Fia slurred, her body starting to sway just slightly as she spoke.

And to think, this was level 1!

"Yeah, yeah, I know girls like you..." Sylvia was one of em. The kind of lady who took things way slower than he did. Ironically she tended to be way more successful at them too, so he couldn`t whine. Although, whenever other people poked her about it, She would get real mad... She was cute when she was mad...

Way cuter than this lady atleast. "Stop calling me shortstack first and I`ll consider it, ya bimbo, hehe!" However, when she said her name out loud, Kurdran clearly had a bit of a brainfart as he blinked... Fia? Where the heck had he heard that name before? It had this somewhat scary weight behind it, like he should be careful or not bully her too much. Fia? Sylfia? Bfeh, that must be it. He wasn`t this easy at confusing names usually...

And then he got an earful off Jackass. "Yer really getting into it finally I see!" He turned towards the girl with his eyes meeting hers with this menacing but hearthfelt smile. "The names Kurdran! Kurdran Briggs! Respect that name! Cause that guy`s gonna drink curs like you under the table!" ...Admittedly, by dwarf standards Kurdran himself wasn`t any better. At his age he would be considered "a delinquent" or "a punk". And the pretty cocky attitude didn`t help with that.

! Even the Beernose line he took in stride, as he blocked his ears, and proceeded to push air through his nose to get rest of the dang bubbles out. This procedure left his nose bright red. However, just seeing the girl follow him up by chugging her own drink in one go made him clap towards her! "Perhaps you ain`t such a lightheaded girl after all!" He himself was still a bit far away from that point though... he tapped his lip and scratched his hair, "But... what would be level two? uhm uuuh..." He ruffled his beard, as his head turned reddish from trying. this thinking business wasn`t his forte!

"Oh! Well, if the flowery stuff is so bad, and the bubbly stuff is Quite good... We just mix em together of course!" He clinked another coin on the table, as the bartender seemingly shrugged, and filled the mugs half full with their first drink, and filled the rest with the bubbly drink... Kurdran looked at the result sort of dissapointed. "Bah. Well, the quicker we get to the high point the better..." However when he had his first sip, his eyes twisted... "Blrgh!" He actually started tearing up! "Ugh, thats not good, thats not good at all!" his mug was still 3/4ths full. "fricking orchidean dishwater must have tainted it."

"Oi, oi! I ain't acceptin' bimbo either, ya goddamn midget!" Fia snapped, giving a toothy grin as she maliciously complied with the man's request to stop referring to him as 'shortstack'. The poor man was unfortunately unaware that if you were associating with Fia, there was a very, very small chance she'd end up calling you by your actual name. Not like the nicknames were actually going to deter the dwarf, who seemed just as loud and proud as the Barone girl, gladly taking any verbal abuse she dished.

He was just as menacing and heartfelt, even when delivering his own name, and making his challenging declaration. "Tch, yeah yeah, keep yappin'! We'll see who's under the table at the end o' this, 'Kurd'. Try not to fall short, haha!" She quipped heartily. Salem was evidently a bad influence on her with that pun, but she was proud of it nonetheless. There was no way she was going to let this short stack, beernose, and all-around punk keep talking shit to a proud Barone!

Motivated by her vigorous passion and stubborn pride, Fia had taken down level one, albeit not without a bit of early damage already. But that was all worth it to hear the dwarf concede she wasn't some kind of lightweight! "Yerr damn right I'm not some fuckin' lightheaded gal!" Fia retorted loudly, the alcohol somehow making her even more loud-mouthed than usual. [color]"I don' care what level two ish, I'm fuckin' ready! Bring it on, Beernose!"[/color] Fia declared proudly, still deciding on which nickname she'd refer to Kurdran by, so trying out the one's she'd thought of so far.

In spite of her apparent ambivalence toward whatever level two was, Fia wasn't quite sure on what the dwarf ended up choosing. "Mixin' em? Ya sure 'bout that?" The Barone lass asked concernedly, only to find out he was quite certain about at least attempting it. A mug of half and half was filled, not looking terribly pleasant, but Fia wasn't about to back down now. She took a sip alongside Kurdran, only to have a near identical reaction to him, as she pulled the mug away from her lips and scrunched her face in disgust.

"Christ, that shit's foul!" She shouted in offense. "Take more 'an dishwater to make it taste like that... Maybe yer plan weren't such a good idea..." She groaned, before looking to the bartender again. It did the job, at least, and Fia was feeling more bold than ever. "Oi, Kurd, why don' we jush go shtraight to the hard shtuff? I'm plenty warmed up, unlesh yer chicken?" She propsed, with a toothy and challenging grin.

"MIDGET!?"

His hair spiked for a moment. It was propably one of the only words that could make him a bit mad! It was like calling a human a monkey. "Try to stand tall before you go calling a dwarf a midget, you monkeybutt!" Luckily, the girls body offered a lot of things to latch onto for back and forth insults, so he could always blurt out some steam that way. Honestly, it felt like they were equal in that fashion atleast. A feeling that was awfully rare for him.

Another thing they shared was their disgust towards the drink he had come up with. However, from Fias wording, Kurdran could realize one thing. "Ye calling oaken fizzle shite?!" Though a brief look, towards the result of his idea was enough to flop his mohawk down a bit... "Yeah, whatevers in it must not mix well..." However, Fia seemingly backed out on finishing her drink... Which gave a momentary courage boost to Kurdran.

"Look, I unleashed this beastie... The least I can do..." He grabbed the mug with his hand. He was clearly shaking a bit. "Is finish it off! This guy aint no chicken!" He lifted it up towards his mouth. This was his chance! To prove he was CLEARLY the better drinker! Finish what he had started! BECOME THE MASTER! However...

As he took another sip, his gut clearly groaned loudly, as he put it back down on the table with this almost dead look in his eyes. "Yeah... I think we went to lvl 4 acchidentally... Maybe, it ish better if we jusht go to the dwarven stuff..." He felt defeated... not by Fia... But by a drink. He pressed his head against the desk for a while from embarrassment... As he soon lifted himself back up. "Now, its time for the legendary thing! Clean my palate and stomach!" He slapped his fist on the table.

"Bring me two blackrocks!" A drink that was always brought up around the fires of the caravan. Whenever a dwarven friend from the big cities would come around, this was their drink of choice... Though typically his parents had laughed at them for it. "You heard the shtory of how Blackrock ish made? Cause I`ll thell ye!" He outright stood up in his seat, his mohawk atleast now clearly standing over Fias head. "You`ve propably heard of rumblingsh in the earthsh crusht. The evil in itsh core... Thish drink is said to be made of...!" He flipped a finger up with each ingredient! "FIERY DEATH! DRAGONSH BREATH! TEETH AND SHCORCH AND FLAME!" He almost fell out of his chair. "It callsh out for heroesh to drink it! Sho it will one day be quenched!" He opened his kimono, As it dropped like a cape around his waist, revealing his big belly and tattoos, barely hidden by his beard.

Meanwhile, the bartender had set two pitch black bottles on the table, and opened them. Inside, was dark orange liquid. You could hear it sizzling inside. The bottle itself felt very hot to touch. True "firewater" if there ever was something like that. "This thing is guaranteed to brand yer insidesh, and clean up my palate from that horrid tashte!" Admittedly, the whole speech felt like something pulled from some door to door salesman. However, their words must have really made an impression for him to take their saying so seriously.

"Ladies firsht... Prove ye got the belly size to handle a volcano bursting in it!" He trembled from excitement. The final battle!

Well, midget certainly hit the mark. Fia even raised a brow at the dwarf's offended response, smirking ever so slightly as she did. Turned she could piss him off too, and that certainly made it easier to tolerate his own underestimating of the Barone girl. "Monkeybutt? Really?" Fia groaned, finding it more silly than anything. "I'd tell ya to think bigger, but that's kind of a tall order for ya, eh?" She quipped, further proving that Salem was indeed a terrible influence on her.

She didn't mind being able to trade verbal blows like this, however. Nor did she mind having such an enthusiastic drinking partner. He seemed initially offended by her rejection of the mix he'd made, before admitting that the fizzle didn't exactly mix well. "Tch, that's an understatement..." Fia groaned groggily, at least noting that the drink was hard enough. That alone would've at least been enough to get her through the rest of it, but it seemed Kurdran had another idea.

"Oi, oi, ya sure that'sh a good idea!?" A somewhat tipsy Fia blurted out as Kurdran had taken the mug, his brave declaration making it seem like he was gonna chug the whole thing down. Fia was almost impressed by his dedication!

But, he didn't follow through, that dead look in his eyes telling Fia all she needed to know about his attempt. They'd both tried to outdo each other, but ultimately, this hellish creation of theirs had beaten them with its horrendous mix. Fia nodded along at Kurd's agreement they get to the dwarven stuff. "Yeah, no more fuckin around... Lesh get to the good shtuff!" Fia drawled out loudly, keen to see what the dwarf had in store. Somewhere along the line, this had become more of a team challenge than a competition.

Fia tilted her head in confusion at first. "The fuck ish a blackrock?" She muttered, before Kurdran took it upon himself to explain the origin. A slightly intoxicated Fia watched with great intrigue at the story, like a kid listening to some epic childhood tale, and at the climax she was cheering herself, pumping a fist in the air. "AL-FUCKIN'-RIGHT! That ish what I'm talkin' about, the drink of heroesh, that'sh what I wanna drink! BRING IT THE FUCK ON!" Fia declared with all the vigor she had, feeling pumped and buzzed a the prospect of this drink.

Their drinks were prepared, the stuff looking as much like magma as it did alcohol. Fia couldn't help but stare in wonder, looking even more forward to the burning away of the previous taste that Kurdran promised. "This shit better be as good as yer makin' to be..." Fia muttered. As the drinks were finally in front of them, Kurdran declared ladies first, but Fia just scoffed loudly.

"Nah, nah, nah, we ain't playin' like that. Ya wanna prove yer hot shit, we downin' these at the shame time, shee who can take it the longest." Fia declared as she firmly grasped her own drink, steeling her nerves and preparing to down it alongside her dwarven competitor/compatriot in the alcoholic arts.

As much as the other short joke hit a nail, Kurdrans face got a bit hilarified, as he turned towards the girl after her advice. "You telling me to think big, when I jusht brought up yer butt? Yer either dumb or modesht! Guessh you truly are a princessh, eh!?" He laughed. Guess the girl was a bit dense. But it gave a ton of chances for him to counterattack with something that just made him ignore the hurtfulness of them.

However, he could feel that the girl herself had similar respect towards him... It was a rare feeling that is for sure. A lady just like him doing things as they came along, and getting hyped about hearing what things are about. You could say Kurdran was outright charmed... but luckily, the briefest of blushes was hidden behind the natural dark redness that came with good old drunken fun.

As the bottles hit the table, Fia proceeded to immediately doubt the stuff right in front of her. Kurdran himself stared at the bottles, smirking. "Thats a cocky persons way of saying, "I am scared of trying new things"! But alright... Now grab a bottle!" Kurdran did as he himself had asked, as he could feel the warmth against his hand. "Heh, its just as hot as it was said to be!" Kurdran had heard this drink talked about a lot, and now he finally had a chance to try it. However, the bartender had seemingly vanished for a moment. Guess he himself couldn`t handle the masculine sight of a dwarf drinking a drink made for them!

"Also, here ish a lasht shuggeshtion for ya! Pour it shtraight into your mouth, inshtead of drinking it from the neck of it. Othervishe you`ll burn yer cute lipsh!" And with that said, he gave a quick timer of him just shouting "Three, two, one!" And starting pouring the drink down... as the bartender rose up from under his desk with smaller mugs, as he rose his hands in a motion that resembled a french man going "NON!!!".

You see, blackrock was overall very strong stuff. So strong that it was supposed to be taken in small doses because of its strong alcoholic and hot nature. And now, that lava like juice was dribbling down into gut of the already round dwarf, as he seemingly didn`t even notice for a while. However, after about 2 seconds of chugging, you could notice him becoming bright red, as the liquid circulated in his intestines... Suddenly he just slammed the bottle back on the table, as he hopped of his chair and stomped the ground.  "Hu, Ha! He! Hi! HO! HOT!" He rolled about clasping his head between his hands! This was the most heated he had felt in his life! Had he literally just drank dragons breath!? What the heck was that stuff made of!? This was what the fricking demonlords kiss from before would have felt like?! OH GOD, HE FELT LIKE HE WAS ON FIRE, SWEATING LIKE A PIG!

...after a brief moment of euphoria, he was just laying down on his back, breathing calmly... When a brief blast of fire, that was almost like a firework erupted from his mouth with a loud burp... "Man... I washn`t... Lying about... It melting... The shtuff... in me stomach..." Man, that felt great and amazing! However, if you were to look at the bottle, there would propably be a tiny layer of the drink left, about one centimeters worth or so. Kurdran had enjoyed the drink way too much to care or notice though. "You alive, princess? Yer mouth still working?"

"Lishen here, you mention my ass again and I'll 'ave you flat on yer's! It's already closhe enough to the ground!" Fia retorted back at the dwarf. It was beginning to seem like neither of them was going to accept not getting the last word in regards to this little prideful clashing of theirs.

But beneath the butting of their heads, it seemed a kind of mutual respect was forming between the unlikely pair. Fiammetta, being the warrior she was, could respect a guy who knew to both throw a punch and take one, even if just in the metaphorical sense. And this dwarf, in spite of his size, seemed to have a lot of heart, and an enthusiasm and knowledge of alcohol that was undoubtedly respectable.

Kurdran was still not convinced on Fia's talk, calling her cocky as she voiced her doubts about the drink. "Yeah, yeah, we'll see who'sh cocky once we down thish shtuff!" She declared with a challengers enthusiasm, her recent intoxication all but blinding her to the risks she was actually taking. As Fia took the warm drink, she was surprised to see it actually had a temperature to it, and apparently so was Kurdran. "Huh, you ain't had thish shit before?" Fiammetta had just assumed the dwarf had drank it in the past, but apparently not. Ah well, at least they were on even ground then.

Apparently the stuff was as hot as it looked, and Fia nodded along to the dwarf's advice. "Yeah, yeah, jusht try not to shet yer beard on fire!" Fia said as she raised her drink, listening to the countdown and not even noticing the bartenders protest to their consumption of this beverage.

She was pretty sure she blacked out for a split second once the stuff went first went down her gullet. It felt like she taking fire down to her belly, but fortunately, she was a little more used to the heat. Her face turned red, and she could've sworn she was steaming - not at all in the usual way! Her mind blanked out completely, as her body felt like it was burning away from the inside. And this was all in the span of a couple of seconds! When Fia slammed down the finished drink, she immediately fell backwards, plopping onto the floor and gazing up at the ceiling absent-mindedly, her head spinning as her body was practically steaming while she sizzled. The alcohol was so strong it numbed the pain of the heat, and the heat so strong it made her not feel like moving an inch!

A small burp escaped her lips, a puff of smoke escaping her lips. She hadn't even noticed her companion also on the ground until he asked if she was still alive.

"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeep, I'm juuuuusht fiiiiine!" Fia slurred out, barely coherent as she continued gazing upward. It seemed she wasn't all there anymore after that drink!

"Hee... hee..." It was pretty hard to laugh at this point. It was true, this stuff was commercialized a lot to the dwarves, but Kurdran had never tried it before. Now that he had though, he understood why. "A shmaller dwarf... would propably... burn out before he wash done drinking..." God damn, his belly felt like it had fricking melted and gone back together! That was one more thing to brag about at home... Though the girl next to her had seemingly finished her drink too, as she was slurring her speech even more majorly than before. "Good work doe... A proper dwarven lady... ye are. Ye... dwarven princessh!" He tried to chuckle, but his throat didn`t really wanna agree, releasing just a dissapointing mumble instead.

However, the stallkeeper was clearly a bit miffed about two drunks laying about. It was not good commercializing that is for sure. He slapped the papery bill on the dwarves stomach, As he motioned for the duo to get out. Kurdran weakly raised his hand for an objection, but didn`t really feel like it... for once. He just raised himself into a sitting position, as he read the bill... And let out propably most desperate groan ever... That was many zeroes. Guess thats what they got for asking for drinks specifically instead of asking for the price first. "Ye fricking thief... Oh, if me stomach wasn`t like a filled bucket... I would punch ye...!"

He hobbled on his feet, as he pulled his little pouch, emptying half of it on the barkeepers table. "That`sh enough... I think." He proceeded to go over to the mumbling drunk lady on the floor... He gave a questioning glance towards the barkeeper, and he lifted his thumb up. "Welp... I apologizhe for thish princessh... Demsh de rulesh for him I guessh..." He lifted the girls arms from under her armpits (a point where he realized how long regular humans arms were), And started dragging her out of the bar. He didn`t really know where he was taking her, but emptying his bag for some kind of compensation for "a fancy barkeeps cleaning duty" Was not something he wanted to do...

"Bloody heck yer heavy..." As much as he didn`t wanna start a fight with her at this point... With him in this condition it was hard for him to hold the truth. "*hic!*"

It was not often that Esperia strayed from Fia's side, perhaps a sign of how much she cared and loved for her fiance, and ever since the siege on Phantom Lord that had briefly separated them, Esperia Von Eisenberg found herself unwilling to spend more than a few hours away from her lover, even a day was pushing her limits. However, for some mysterious reasons she had decided to send the day by herself, seeking out some of her friends, because she had something to discuss with them.

Although she had made quite a lot of fond memories in Blue Pegasus, for example, meeting Alisa and bonding so strongly with her, reuniting with Liana and even her friendship with Snowflake were all parts of what made her stay so wonderful, but with the recent events she struggled with a certain issue she needed to figure out. Fia was about to tell her colleagues at the Rune Knights that she was about to leave their order, and obviously, that choice was a difficult one to endure. What if her fiance had made friends during her time there? She would basically be telling her to leave them behind, all because of her petty and selfish desires.

But those desires were a part of what made Esperia into the person she was. Indeed, there was no denying that, and with Fia being willing to do this in order for them to be able to live only for each other and those they'd love, it was only natural that she started thinking about the future.

Wouldn't it be a certain sort of hypocrisy to tell her lover to leave the knights, when she herself was a member of Blue Pegasus? In a way, she knew her alignment to the guild could just as easily tear her away from her fiance's side. Of course, she would try her utmost to recruit her lover into their little 'family', but Esperia couldn't help but worry about 'what if that failed'? Fia didn't exactly embody the ideals the guild used to represent, and yet it made the girl think.

What did she desire the most? What was her priority? Obviously, the answer was simple: She desired Fia the most. But then why, why would she struggle with deciding on what to do? Was it because of the attachments she had toward the guild? A frown lingered on her visage as Esperia wandered along the streets of the area within Orchidia that had been used for the festivities when two familiar voices resounded from a nearby area.

"Fia?" A curious little hum escaped the girl's lips as she spotted her fiance plopped down on the ground. Approaching the outdoors-bar she was about to approach the lass when a tall man obstructed her way. "Sorry young lady, but we don't allow anyone under the age of eighteen."

The words alone already made her cheeks flush up crimson as she raised a hand and tapped her chest proudly. "I'm already twenty!" However, while the man initially seemed unconvinced, when he saw the company she was with his face turned pale for a second and he smiled weakly. "Fine but don't cause a---"

Yet before he could finish his statement Esperia had darted over to the table Fia was at, seemingly busy being dragged away by a 'oddly' familiar small figure, and did something quite typical of her. With the same gleeful excitement of a child doing a dive into a pool, she plopped on top of her lover, tackling her straight onto the ground again, possibly even making the poor dwarf tumble down beside them. causing the bouncer to raise a hand to his face. "What did I say about ruckuses..."

But nonetheless, Esperia ignored his words entirely, nuzzling against Fia's cheek and easily ignoring the heat of her body, no doubt courtesy of the experience of all their shenanigans. However, after a moment she pulled her face back and winced a little. "Puuh~ your breath smells like a dragon..."

A shift of her gaze went sideways toward the dwarf as she grinned sheepishly at him "I guess I have 'Kur' to thank for getting her all 'drank'"

However, Sebastian added to the statement with a polite tone. "His name is Kurdran young master." Extending a hand to help the dwarf upright he quickly added with a hint of amusement in his tone. "And you should let lady Fia get upright again, lest she'd unleash the contents of her stomach onto your dress."

Yeah, that would be quite a bad idea... "What in the world did the two of you drink to get so wasted~" The girl hummed in amusement as she tried to pull herself and Fia upright.

"I dun wanna be a dwaaaarven prinshesh... I'm not shoooort..." Fia groaned as she rolled over to a slightly more comfortable position on the ground. She couldn't even muster the effort to sit up, at least, not without feeling like she was about to throw up. Her cheeks were flushed a bright read, a sloppy look on her face that made her condition unmistakeable.

The stallkeeper came over and started to get angry or something, whatever, he was dealing with the dwarf. Fia wasn't feeling up to helping out, so just kind of lay there groaning as the dwarf did her the kindness of paying the bill for their drinks. Hopefully, she'd remember to thank him later. If she even ended up remembering any of this, that is.

Eventually the dwarf was over her again, saying that they'd had enough. "I dunnoo... I reckon I couuuld go for shome moooore... Hehehe-ow..." Laughing wasn't as pleasant as she thought it would be. Before she could properly register it, the dwarf was hoisting her up by the arms, and dragging her out. "Who are you callin heeeavy?" Fia weakly groaned, though made no actual effort to protest. She just kinda groaned a bit more as her head wobbled about, and she tried to get her bearings.

Which was made quite difficult when she was suddenly on the ground again, out of the blue.

"Prinshesh?" Fia groaned, her stomach churning from the sudden movement. Esperia said something about her breath and dragons, was she breathing fire or something? She felt like it.

Fia was helped upright again, and ended up clinging hopelessly to Esperia for support. "We drank uh... What wash it called...? Black...rock?" Fia muttered, slumping even more against Esperia. It seemed she'd become quite the tired drunk after all that.

"Ish shrong shtuff Prinshesh... Don drink it, kaaaay?"

"That`sh the proper shpirit in ye, I can tell that much shtill..." It was getting surprisingly tiring to just walk forward with a big lady in your arms. All those dang stories where the prince carried their saved target out of the castle felt kind of stupid. Who the heck would go through that effort, when the girl had functioning legs of her own? "Though sheeing what`sh in front of me ish a bit harder..." Maybe it was just because he was dillydally? Nah, it was most definitely just the lady being a bit heavier than usual. Though nothing bad in thick hips...

Suddenly, Kurdrans gaze was filled with a dark figure... Something like a giant crow... but it had quite a lot of package under it. Like it was carrying a shriveled corpse or something... "Man, birdsh shure have gotten bigger than they were in..."

Honestly, if it had been a car, Kurdran propably would have been none the wiser, as the one he was pulling got flattened by a flying lady in a fancy kimono. The sudden extra weight slammed against the dwarfs packages side, As Kurdrans hold on her was released. The poor guy was left with this weirdly weightless feeling, as he fell on his face from all the extra power lifting him up. "Oooooww!" He groaned as he held his nose. Fricking birdsh... What the hecks one doing flying sho low!?" Heck, somebody from fias direction called him a Cur, which didn`t make him feel any better. "Who the heck shaid that! Why I oughta..." He flopped on the ground angrily, with his nose even redder than before, as he tried to get back up. Luckily, the bartender seemingly offered to help him. Seemed to call him by name too... Wait a minute! "You didn`t have that clean of a shuit before! Looksh dang tight too..." Come to think of it he didn`t have a beard either...

And then he heard voice coming from fias direction. For some reason, there was a minor level of threat in his head, that resonated with it. Like a nasty memory... that or a painful headache. And as he turned to look, he saw the "bird" from before huggling against his drinking partner! nuzzling and smelling her! A bloody pervert was taking advantage of her defenselessness, after trying to knock him the hell out! And now she was seemingly blaming HIM for getting her in this condition! Dastardly bastard! No wonder her voice was so scary sounding to him!

"Oh, I`ll bloody give ya shome! It`sh called...!" He tumbled forward, pulling his hand back, and pressing it into a fist, as he charged towards the duo while courageously shouting "BLACKRHOCK PHUNCH!" He slugged his fist forward towards the predator of a girls face in utter anger so hard, he would outright flip forward onto his back whether he actually hit or missed. He was gonna rescue his pal no matter the cost!

The poor guy didn`t even remember that the person he was trying to punch was propably the worst choice in the room in more ways than one...

A soft giggle of amusement escaped Esperia's lips at the sight of how Fia was totally under the influence of the alcohol, but perhaps that made it all the more endearing that she still showed that soft side toward her. The way she was calling her princess even while wasted earned a warm smile from Esperia as she mused softly "Hehe~ if it influences you 'that' strongly then I'll better don't touch it. Then again, as long as you don't start seeing double I'll be fine, it is embarrassing if you suddenly start seeing 'Princesses'"

A sheepish giggle escaped her lips as she found herself quite happy with the feeling of Fia clinging hopelessly to her, and it didn't help that the feeling of her bosom pressing against her. All in all, she might have even considered that a blissful experience altogether.

"Uwaah~ guess he doesn't like a 'short' version of his name either..." Esperia mused softly as she turned to look at Fia, the way she had turned her body making it so she was now right in front of her fiance, looking up at her with a hint of curiosity in her eyes. "How in the world were you able to drink so long with him without him getting offended? Fia is quite casual in her speech when drinking after all~"

The obsidian-haired trickster mused teasingly yet Sebastian noticeably frowned when the dwarf commented about the cleanness and tightness of his suit, a frown that intensified when the man started to show hints of agitation. Yelling in anger as he hooked his arm backward for a punch the butler thought about the best course of action. Perhaps he should intervene? In the worst case, he was close enough to ensure that the moment that fist reached its target that he could intercept it, but then again that would disrupt the pleasant scene between the young master and her fiance. Perhaps this was a good opportunity to let Fia show that protective nature of her? At least it seemed that when it came to Esperia, the girl was already clear on who she wanted to be saved by.

A soft girlish cry escaped her lips as she buried her face against Fia's bosom, like a terrified child seeking comfort, and indeed she had even closed her eyes in fear, but whether this was genuine or an act was something none knew, but then again the words that escaped her lips made it clear who her savior was. It wasn't the demon within, nor the butler at her side. "Fia please save me!"

The girl cried out, trembling lightly as she seemingly was frightened of the hostility the dwarf was showing, and if Fia didn't intervene Kurdran would find his fist hitting a large black-colored mirror at the last moment while the girl mumbled softly. "For a dwarf he has quite a large temper when he gets drunk."

Fia groaned in agreement at Esperia's words, as she helplessly clung to and slumped against her lover. Out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted her drinking partner flopping on the ground angrily, raising a confused eyebrow but paying it no mind. Thinking too hard about stuff was a bit difficult for her at the moment. Even comprehending the idea of multiple Esperias was a bit hard. "Prinsheshesh? Soundsh like a handful... I only need one..." Fia groaned in and oddly sweet gesture.

It seemed Esperia too noticed the dwarven drinking partner, asking how Fia could keep drinking with him for so long. "He'sh not sho bad... Jush a bit... Hehehe... Short-tempered... Hehe-ow..." Laughing still hurt more than a bit, causing Fia to nuzzle even closer against Esperia like a needy child. Quite the reversal of roles, this was.

Suddenly things got a lot louder, which Fia didn't really enjoy, and she spotted the dwarf from before rushing at her and Esperia, aiming to hurt her lover! The drunken Titan's eyes lit up, as she heard Esperia call for her help, which she'd provide without hesitation!

"Don't hurt.... My PRINSHESH!" She cried out drunkenly, rearing her fist back. Vapor came off of it, as the limb doubled and sized and she rocketed it right for the dwarf's face, holding nothing back! Er, not that she exactly could, given her current state...

*CLONK!*

What? Sheer confusion filled the dwarves head for a moment, as he just saw this black mass in front of him. He glared at his own fist for a moment. Man, guess shouting loud enough made actual magic happen, when you`ve drank blackrock! "*hic!* Datsh what you get for bullying innocent ladiesh... Eh?" He could hear the girls talking still... but if she had turned into a black rock, then she shouldn`t be talking right?

And then there was a brief realization, as a gigantic hand came towards him... Not something credible like "Oh yeah, thats who Fia was" or "maybe punching the little pervert wasn`t such a smart idea!" But just a compiled thought of "Oh shit, I made the wrong person mad it seems." A steaming fist only a bit smaller than his body was coming towards him, as he grew a tiny layer of hair over him and hopped back, Before it connected... Man, it didn`t soften the blow much at all, as it connected with his thick hairy stomach.

The poor dwarf felt himself fly backwards violently before blacking out completely... Poor guy had already been kind of exhausted and drunk, so getting punched proper wasn`t exactly his strong point at the time. If he wasn`t caught midflight he would propably roll out on the road a bit and annoy some walkers progressing forward on it, like a lost beer barrel. Thankfully, he atleast seemed to be alive still. The only real damage that he had gained from the experience, would be a painful looking print of a fist on his already red guts hair layer. Honestly, he looked like a sleeping orangutan... Just a bit more smelly and bruised.

Hearing Fia's statement that she needed only one princess was quite endearing, to the point that the drunken titan earned a blush from her princess, who nodded her head lightly in response to the sweet words. "Mhmm~ not that I'd be willing to share~" a soft giggle followed that turned into a full-blown laugh at the short pun her lover made about the dwarf.

Still, to feel Fia nuzzling against her, it was quite a reversal of roles, and not an unappreciated one at that either. In fact, it briefly made her think that it wouldn't be a bad idea to get Fia drunk more often, although preferred, at a more private occasion for Kurdran proved to be quite a blockade to her plans. However, in the wake of his attempt to attack her Fia's retaliation left both Sebastian and the entire pub to look in bewilderment as he was knocked through the air and landed outside on the streets, making the girl whistle softly. "Home-run~"

Gently carrying her fiance outside the girl approached the knocked out cold dwarf she looked at him, shuffling her sandal-clad foot to nudge him slightly in his rib before she hummed in approval. "He is still alive~ Guess he'll wake up in a few hours. Meanwhile, speaking about a home-run."

Her gaze went up at the nuzzling Fia, raising a hand to pet her hair lightly while she asked in a playful tone. "How about we head back to the inn? I think I want to play some games with Fia while she is as drunk as I am perverted~" A little giggle followed as she looked back at the dwarf. "Wonder how he dealt with that punch. Is he like some giant living furball? hehe a dwarf being a giant in something, that's kind of funny to say~"

[Topic exit]

"Ah, shit..." Fia murmured lowly as the dwarf went flying back. She hadn't exactly intended ti hit him that hard, but at the same time, the girl currently had rather poor control over her strength thanks to the alcohol. "Ya think he'sh alright?" Fia mumbled as she was carried along by her lover toward the downed dwarf, leaning against the shorter girl for support.

"At leasht prinshehs ish shafe..." Fia groaned in approval as they checked up on Kurdran, finding that he was sound asleep. Fiammetta was starting to feel like a nap sounded pretty good herself, until her lover's words inspired some newfound energy in her.

"Hehehehehe... Prinshesh ish shuch a pervert..." Fia chuckled salaciously, clearly feeling quite spry now that the promise of fun was had. She slumped against Esperia even more, smiling dopily at the hand patting her head. Fia had become something like a big dumb dog in her drunken state, it seemed. Well, at least she was doing better than her drinking partner.

"Shorry pal... Thanksh for the drink..." Fia said solmenly in apology to the dwarf who'd shoed her such a wonderful and dangerous alcoholic beverage. It had been a fun night, and as Fia wandered off with her fiance, it would only get even more fun...

Though, she probably wasn't going to remember much of it...