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wait, me? why

what do u mean why I know I spelled alk that right

i don't know why you'd be thinking about me, is all

we are currently talking right now are you not thinking about me

...i guess that's fair

we were also talking about him though

ok true true true and I don't need an excuse to think about him but mostly cause we talked about like. how weird it is to want to live feels like kinda by extension, being glad to live to see another year is... yeah weird but good yknow

...yeah

wanting to have another year of living, another year of time with people, is

well. you get it.

yeah I get it

[ a couple minutes later ]

you ever think to yourself "wow we should be cuddling for this conversation"

sometimes, yeah

i'm guessing that's what you're thinking now?

[man, maybe he's not wrong. even if it was a somewhat accidental detour, it's still gotten deeper than intended...]

yeah 100% next time for sure

i'm not too tipsy to leave the apartment yet, man

i should probably warn you that i have it on pretty good authority my voice puts people to sleep if they're already tired or drunk though

oh word? challenge accepted

[ map pin drop ]

#207

[he just leaves a thumbs-up emoji in reply, before going quiet as he heads over; there's enough of a chill outside to sober him up further, considering he hadn't had much to drink to begin with, and to remedy that...

well. of course he shows up with a bottle or two tucked under one arm, knocking lazily on reno's apartment door.]

[ figuring that the quiet was Netzach making his way over, Reno had taken the opportunity to tidy at least a little—not that he's messy by nature, but there were some empty bottles on the coffee table and some cigarette butts in the ashtray, so Reno gets rid of both and does some other cleanup in the kitchen before he hears the knock that means Netzach is here.

he pulls the door open with an easy grin. despite his terrible typing, Reno holds his liquor fairly well face to face, so the only hint that he's still tipsy is that he moves a little more loosely than he would, otherwise. ]

Oh, he comes bearing gifts. [ Reno steps back to let him in. the apartment is pretty bare, honestly, except for the kitchen, which is noticeably the best-loved room of the place. ] Come in. It's cold out there, hey?

No kidding.

[his face is flushed with it, nose and cheeks red from the chill more than the booze. netzach passes the bottles over, shrugging off his coat once he has both hands free again.]

Nice place, man. You keep it way cleaner than I would... if it weren't for Yesod, it'd be a real mess.

[ the bottles Reno takes, then uses his elbow to gesture at the free hook where Netzach can hang his coat. once he's out of his layers, Reno leads the way to the kitchen so he can put the bottles on the counter. ]

He seems like he'd be the neat type for sure. [ like the knows where each item goes and likes them in their places type. Reno sounds kind of fond about that—he's thinking of Tseng. ] I ain't sure I'd say I'm neat, I just don't have much stuff.

[ but for the kitchen and bedroom (and the azalea on the windowsill) this could be a model apartment. Reno hasn't even painted. ]

You want I should mix somethin'? What'd you bring?

Mm... yeah, maybe you could use a little more on the walls.

[fortunately, the offer of a drink keeps him from becoming absorbed in thinking about what he could paint for reno to decorate with; he wanders over to the kitchen instead, arms folded on the countertop, and hums thoughtfully.]

Surprise me? I'm still kind of experimenting. Before I got here, I'd either drink beer or I'd just drink liquor straight, so... I'm still trying flavors out.

[he's tasted some new drinks through learning how to mix them himself, but there are so many options...]

Probably, yeah.

[ for most of his time here Reno has been afraid to leave a permanent mark, not used to the idea of making his apartment feel like a home. but he's just about settled enough for it now—ask him again in two weeks. ]

You got it. [ mixing drinks for fun is even better than mixing them for work. Reno grabs a couple of glasses, then gives Netzach an assessing look. ] You like 'em fruity or sour or plain?

I've been getting a lot of fruity ones lately, so... let's try sour.

[branching out!

he settles by degrees, slouching into place like he belongs there, chin resting in his palm to watch reno work.]

How long have you been doing this for?

Sour it is.

[ so out come the ingredients for gin fizzes, and Reno gets to work mixing things together. the question makes him grin and he says, ] I dunno, how long has the club been open?

[ it's a tongue in cheek answer, but he does give a real one after a second. ]

I don't do this professionally back home. Mixing drinks and cooking are like—I dunno, hobbies I picked up to make me feel more human, I guess. Somethin' like that. The flairtending is mostly just 'cause I'm pretty good at knife tricks and figured the skills kinda overlap.

...hobbies definitely help with that. It was art for me, so I figured if I could mix paints, and if I can drink alcohol, I can probably learn to mix alcohol.

[does that translate over? not really. but has it been another on the list of hobbies anyway? definitely. it's nice to be able to do something useful around the club, at the very least.]

You're pretty good with the flair, though. Never really knew that was a thing before the gala.

You saw Thancred doin' it? He's better than me.

[ and in fact is where Reno picked up the idea in the first place. he doesn't have quite the same dramatic flourish, but he still holds his own, at least—or anyway no one has complained to him, so whatever. ]

Art seems cool, though. I tell you that before? I ain't even painted a wall before, what you can do is impressive as hell.

[ there, drinks finished. Reno passes one over to Netzach, then takes the other for himself and leans a hip against the counter to try it. it's good—not too sour, but tart, and a little fizzy in a way he likes. maybe he doesn't have to be a gin hater after all. ]

A lot of things are art, you know. It isn't just painting and drawing.

[he takes a tentative sip of his drink, with an appreciative little hum. the fizz is interesting, the tartness making the flavor of it stand out; netzach lifts the glass slightly.]

Even this can be art. It's like mixing paint... If you throw colors or drinks together without knowing anything, or putting any thought into it, you just end up with a muddy shade or an undrinkable drink. Blending them the right way is an art, just like putting notes together the right way is.

[after another long drink, he adds, a little teasing:]

You kissed like it was an art of its own, too.

You think so? Kinda romantic, when you put it that way.

[ Reno could tell by Netzach's expression on that first sip that he didn't hate the drink, but it's the second sip that lets him know he must actually like it. or at least likes it well enough not to set it down right away, which feels like a win.

Reno has never really thought of his culinary or bartending skills as an art, per se—a hobby at best, something he pursues in his spare time. but hearing Netzach describe the process of mixing paints and mixing drinks in such similar terms does indeed capture his imagination. Reno, an artist of any variety? perish the thought—Tseng would laugh him out of the building.

the follow-up comment makes him grin, though, his gaze dropping lazily down to Netzach's mouth again before moving back up to meet his eyes. ]

You in the mood to be an art critic tonight, then?

Mm...

[he pauses a moment to consider this, his expression thoughtful as he draws another couple mouthfuls from his glass.]

Honestly, I think I feel more like curling up and hanging out? Nothing against the idea, you are good. Just not really in the mood for it.

[smooching him again is not off the table, but man, sometimes you'd just rather get comfy.]

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