The festival so far had been a fun event for Teiho, with beautiful women and old friends everywhere, he could honestly feel the love and happiness in the air. It was a welcome change to his normally contradictory gloomy yet happy demeanor. Of course a hard drink often helped mask the differences but that was neither here nor there for the young man.

He was once again perusing the various stalls that the event had to offer, having been unable to see them all due to running into Ianthe yesterday. It was a wonder to exactly how many cultures had flocked to Orchidia for this event. There was a little something from everywhere, from Seven there were scientists showing off new technologies. Sin had brought their traditional Sinese dancers and delectables. Savannah had offered various treats and cultural works that their artists had crafted. And of course Fiore brought the flower dressers and other acts to brighten up the mood.

Music flowed freely in the festival and apparently, so did the tap. Passing yet another bar stall, he graciously ordered a pint to go, certain that his coin pouch was going to get a work out from this festival if he kept running into this brewery stalls. Ah well, there was nothing wrong with trying a few new drinks.

Shura left the game with so much on his mind. It was filled to the brim with loads of questions again. Why this and why that? Stuff that any rational people would question. One could say normal, but Shura wasn't normal. Well, maybe half normal and half something greater evil. Even though Berial came off as a nice individual he never truly revealed his true nature. Shura stopped for a moment and took a deep breath, 'I didn't come here to stress out. I came here to relax.' He thought to himself. He unconsciously wandered through the festival till he ended up in front of a small restaurant area. Food and beverages of the alcoholic kind were being served. 'Ya, maybe I need a drink.' He walked through the area before finding a table. He had to place his bag down because it was kind of hard to carry a drink and bag around. Sure he could have made his spell arm but he didn't want to draw attention.

After sitting his bag down, he walked up to the stall next to a shorter lad with a rather tall hairdo. A dark-skinned fella like Shura, he had never seen many like himself around. Not demon, but darker skinned. 'I guess we are rather exotic to this land.' he thought. Shura needed something to take his mind off the things rattling around in his head. A brunette stood behind the stall ready to take Shura's order. He was flipping through the menu with his one arm. He wasn't feeling too hungry, but he was in need of getting intoxicated.

He looked over at the kid next to him, “Beautiful festival don't ya think? Nice distraction from the things going on around us don't ya think?”

The dark skinned male couldn’t make a choice, a pursed lip and a constantly gazing eye gave him a sort of indecisive look about him that clearly upset the cute bartender. The young brunette gave the young man before her a closer look, the young man’s exotic looks definitely not belonging to anything that Fiore produced. He stood at a meager yet average height of five foot ten, clearly still within the bounds of his growth spurt if the disproportionate body parts of his were anything to go by. He seemed to be a stickler for posture, back straight even in a bar stool, and held his head up with a purpose, even if that purpose were choosing an alcoholic beverage. His hair was up in fairly high twists, the beginnings of dreads could be seen as they were tied up into a thick ponytail to keep it all out of his face. His clothing was kept simple, only a short sleeved graphic tee with some vague pop culture reference that she hadn’t paid attention to in the past five years stamped across it. She couldn’t see his legs or lower body wear but she was certain that if he was dressed like the kids today that he would be wearing some kind of cargo shorts and sneakers. Frowning, she considered his kind trouble. Not because he had done anything himself, but because they usually drunk and dashed. Never bothering to pay or tip. She hated kids like that.

Luckily for her, Teiho had fully intended to pay today, only because he was rich off quests that he had been completing while within Orchidia’s city limits. Deciding that a basic vanilla flavored brew would fit his tastes for now, he’d drop the laminated sheet of paper and order a pint to start off his day. He’d have a lot of time to blow so might as well spend it drunk. As the young woman turned around to get his drink ready, he turned to face the tall dark skinned gentleman that joined him at the bar. He definitely stood taller than Teiho did, though he was uncertain what his actual height was due to him standing. A basic glance told him that the man was comfortable with fighting, but was clearly relaxed due to being in a sort of social location, though the small tensing muscles in his face and arms showed mental conflict, from what didn’t matter to Teiho. He wasn’t a psychiatrist, ‘I’m a librarian’, he said to himself in his head. Acknowledging that the man was talking to him, he’d turn back to the bar and give a sort of lighthearted grunt of agreement, “Definitely a distraction. I haven’t been sober since I got here. Barely remember why I’m here to begin with anymore”.

Giving the man another glance, he’d accept the drink from the young woman and raise it to his mouth to begin swigging. If conversation was what this guy was looking for, he’d indulge him. He had nothing to kill but time.

The waitress seemed a bit impatient waiting for the other dark-skinned male to order something. The day was busy and she just looked like she wanted to be enjoying the festival not working it. Shura continued to flip through the drink side of the menu while he waited for the waitress to get to him. The male spoke about not being sober and not remembering why he was present, to begin with. Shura raised an eyebrow at the idea of someone just being somewhere and not knowing why. Maybe he did know why he just pushed the idea of it down to the point of it being drowned in alcohol. Shura couldn't really judge, he was about to do the same thing in a moment. “It's a festival, what other reason to be here?” Shura turned to the lad to meet his gaze. The woman brought the lad's drink and turned to Shura.

“I will have what he is having.” The girl smiled and went to prepare a mug for him. Shura looked at the kid and figured he would introduce himself. “Shura Ranzu, it's a pleasure.” The girl came shortly afterward with a frothy mug. Shura reached into his pocket and left some jewel on the counter. “Come share a drink with me.” He grabbed the mug after placing the jewels on the counter. He walked towards the table where his bag was present hoping the kid would follow. He drank from the mug while walking leaving a bubbly mustache behind. He felt the cold rush of the drink, and hopefully, a buzz was sure to follow.

A tip of the mug and several deep gulps later, and the young man sported what many would call a healthy beerstasche. The taste and texture of the lager definitely left something to be desired, but considering he was in it for the buzz well... he wasn’t complaining. The gentleman at the bar seemed to agree with his sentiment, if only to point out that the festival itself was a good enough reason to be at the festival. He’d agree for the most part, it gave him a reason to drink out in public, not that he ever needed one to begin with, but it was nice to have a sort of cover like the one the festival gave him. Plus he got to meet people similar to himself so... double win. The man would introduce himself with a simple ‘I am so and so’ a name that definitely wasn’t forgettable in the slightest mind you. Yet Teiho definitely knew he’d likely forget it at some point if only because it wasn’t likely he’d see the guy again. Shrugging, he’d lift the now three quarter full mug of frothy beer up to his lips before replying with a short and simple “Teiho”.

Taking a draft of his beer after his reply, he’d witness the man receive his own golden frothy pint from the now moderately less annoyed bartender. Taking the glass from his lips, he’d watch the man leave a jewel on the bar counter before walking away. Accepting the man’s offer of a seat and conversation, he’d order yet another pint for himself before walking away from the bar, the appropriate amount of jewel for both drinks already on the counter.

Shura walked over to the square table and found himself a seat. He placed the mug on the table and pulled the chair out with his one hand. This was something Shura got used to pretty quickly. One arm was a hindrance but he had to play the role for all to see. Most did not know he could just outright create a usable appendage. Only those who have fought him knew that bit of information before. He sat down and watched Teiho finish the rest of his tall boy and order some more. Shura caught quick name from the lad that warranted a reply. “Shura Ranzu.”

He began to drink more from his tall cup putting the glass at the half. He was starting to feel a slight buzz due to not eating anything and just drinking. Usually, booze hit a lot faster because digestion did not have to process much. He continued to drink while he waited for Teiho to get to the table where Shura was sitting at. He did not want yell across the area so everyone could hear their chat. Not like they were going to speak about confidential information, just two men chatting in a bar about life. Of course, it could always evolve or devolve it the blink of an eye depending on how these two interacted.

“Never really seen you around Fiore. You must be a new face to the magic business. Or maybe you have been laying low. Teiho right, interesting name.”

He had gotten about halfway to the table when the taller fellow had introduced himself again for whatever reason. Teiho didn’t dwell on the detail for too long because it didn’t matter but he considered giving the man a snarky response about repeating himself. Thankfully the thought only passed his alcohol addled mind for the briefest of moments. Fighting while drunk was never fun, and bringing up bad, even if extremely funny, mental ticks, was definitely a sure fire way to ruin a buzz and start a fight.

Taking a seat, he would knock back the rest of his mug, the last of the cool beverage sliding into his mouth as Shura would start up a conversation about Teiho’s origins. He was used to conversations starting this way, he was rather exotic looking, if a bit out of place in a rather homogenous country such as Fiore. Grinning, he’d drop the bug on the table, his buzz definitely starting to roll in as he smacked his lips and leaned back on the stool, not enough to fall over, but definitely enough to tip it. “Interested are ya”, he’d start off in a vaguely southern accent that would be familiar to anyone from Caelum, even if they didn’t speak the language, however it was clear that he wasn’t familiar with this accent as it definitely sounded foreign to his tongue. “I’m an old hand, just a bit of a traveler you know, seeing the world, smell the sights, the works!”

His excitement was out of place, and it was rather different from his previous disposition, as if he were testing the waters so to speak. He didn’t have any weird facial expressions, or shifty glances. He just seemed a bit off, enough to warrant him a strange look from the bartender who had arrived with his drink. He could tell the woman contemplated seeing if he were took drunk already to have another, but he was still within his ability to function and was merely having a bit of fun with a stranger.

Sitting down at the table Shura realized he had introduced himself again. He was inside of his own head to the point he was repeating himself. He couldn’t blame it on the booze because he had not been drunk enough yet. He let out a sigh and began to pound down the rest of the drink. He was struggling to keep it all together at this point. He watched Teiho sit down at the table and they just both chugged in silence for a moment. Shura was trying to learn of Teiho to see if they shared any form of relation or connection. Shura was just not used to seeing others with shades of darker skin like him around Fiore. They stood out in the crowd. Teiho spoke, his accent different from what Shura is used too. He did not share that accent but that could also have been part of being raised by the Sieker lineage. They spoke proper all the time and growing up around that rubbed off on him.

Shura nodded at Teiho’s brief explanation. A man who did not stay in one place too long. They shared that much in common. Shura had seen a lot in his travels and experienced all kinds of things. That included normal and supernatural experiences. “We are alike in that aspect.” Shura took a long drink before looking at Teiho’s excited expression.

“Even though I am in a guild, I tend to free roam quite a lot. Only got one life to live, no point in being locked down in one spot.”

Shura had a smile but behind that smile, there was a level of seriousness behind it. He didn’t show it but he started thinking about everything that had happened up to this point. He had brushed with death several times. His arm was a good example of that. The bartender had come by with a new drink for Teiho. Shura finished his cup and he slid it towards the bartender.

“Another if you would be so kind.”

The booze was starting to kick in and surely both would become more loose-lipped and the conversation would begin to flow easier. Cause there was a level of tension because of two strangers meeting. They didn’t know each other nor have some idea of what kind of person each was. The next few moments would be crucial to what kind of relationship they were going to build.

Knocking on the table to idly pass his thoughts, it seemed Shura had finally realized that he had spoken oddly just a minute ago as the young man easily returned back to conversation after a moment of silence. He’d remark that the both of them were similar, a notion that had Teiho raise a single eyebrow in questioning. Luckily for him, Shura wasn’t the type to make singular statements with no basis and easily elaborated on it by explaining that even if he was part of a guild he was still able to travel freely and explore the world. Now that was something that Teiho could tilt his mug too.

As the young man responded the bartender would finally arrive with his third round of drink, the frothy beverage sitting well with him so far. It wasn’t necessarily hard enough to get him anywhere fast but it definitely didn’t taste like pig swill and morning dew so he could at least enjoy the drink and conversation he was having without grimacing every other second from the experience. He would lift the drink to his lips and let out a simple ‘mhm’ to the boy’s explanation, buffering his response with his drink before lowering the mug back to the table and responding calmly, “I used to be like that before I left mine. Never stepped a foot in it after the first day believe it or not. Just wasn’t worth the hassle. So much land to traverse, so many women to see. Why waste time in a stuff old building when I could be doing those things instead?”

Memories of Fairy Tail always elicited terrible memories and thoughts of his old ‘comrades’ but he knew that at the end of the day it was his fault for trusting so many flighty individuals. He needed comrades he could put his all in. Well that or convince them that it was in their best interest to stay by his side always, but he wasn’t in the business of mental reprogramming so the first option would stay his only option.