After Dark

[takesitall]

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[takesitall]

[Being a succubus is sometimes very fun. Aventurine gets all sorts of attention and hangers on and invites to parties! It's fun. It's also horribly isolating but eh, he's used to that. That's just how his life goes, after all.

He's at one of those parties tonight, though he's wearing a nullification amulet so he's not harassed by every guy interested in guys at this party. It makes his life so much easier...and lets him escape out to the balcony for a bit of quiet, like he is right now.]

[ignoranceisblight]

[He is, admittedly, not the only one out on this balcony.

Honestly, Ratio didn't even want to come to this party to begin with, he'd been dragged along by a coworker who had decided he needed to get out more.

Saying he was unimpressed was an understatement, and he'd escaped the first chance he got, settling in on the balcony with a book.

When he spots the newcomer, he gives a nod of acknowledgement.]

[takesitall]

[Reading? At a party? Color Aventurine intrigued.

He doesn't say anything, though, and just moves to find a place hidden by some plants to sink down onto the floor.]]

[ignoranceisblight]

[Ratio watches him sink down to the floor, but remains silent.

After a few moments, though, he pulls an unopened water bottle from the bag he brought with him and gets up, placing it down near Aventurine.

Just in case the other needs it.]

[takesitall]

Oh, you're a life-saver.

[He is so thirsty right now and will down at least half of that bottle.]

I hate the drinks they have here tonight.

[ignoranceisblight]

They're that bad? I'm glad I didn't bother with them, in that case.

[takesitall]

Mm, most people wouldn't be able to tell, but the wine is that cheap "basically boxed wine but in a bottle", and the rest of it isn't much better.

[ignoranceisblight]

Ugh, at that point, why bother?

[Gross. He takes a drink from his own water bottle.]

Though, given the host, perhaps I shouldn't be surprised.

[takesitall]

Yeah? Do you know them? I just came as a plus one status symbol.

[ignoranceisblight]

They're a friend of the coworker that dragged me along here. They habitually cut corners where they can already, so cheap drinks are, to say the least, terribly unsurprising.

[He expected nothing and is still let down by this, damn.]

[takesitall]

Well, explains the food as well. Don't eat it, I'm pretty sure it'll give you food poisoning. Ugh, I cannot believe they dragged me to this.

[ignoranceisblight]

[He makes a face, then pauses, thinking.]

... You know, I don't think anyone would notice if we simply left. Especially since the other guests have had sufficient time to get inebriated by now.

[takesitall]

...you're not wrong. Out the door, or do you think we can climb down that trellis?

[ignoranceisblight]

[He marks his place in the book, then gets up again. He goes over to the trellis to examine it, grabbing onto it experimentally.]

I think it should hold if we attempted to climb down.

[He'll retrieve his bag, putting his book and water bottle away.]

Shall we?

[takesitall]

[Aventurine has to duck in to get his coat--it's chilly, he says to anyone who asks--but then he's out back at the other man's side.]

Mind if I go first?

[He is, you know, smaller than the other guy.]

[ignoranceisblight]

Not at all, go right ahead.

[takesitall]

[And down he goes! He makes sure there's space for the other guy to climb down and then:]

Okay!

[ignoranceisblight]

[Ratio's a little slow climbing down, but eventually he gets close enough to the ground to just jump down.]

There we are.

[He adjusts his bag.]

There should be some restaurants still open at this hour--we could get decent food and drinks.

[takesitall]

Please. Granted, the food wasn't too big an issue for me, but the drinks were. You pick, my treat?

[ignoranceisblight]

I know just the place, then.

[He'll start walking, pausing to wait for this other guy.]

[takesitall]

[Following!

And remembering his manners:]

Aventurine.

[ignoranceisblight]

Veritas Ratio.

[The restaurant he leads the way to is one he frequents quite a lot--it's the only place in town that serves food as spicy as he prefers.]

[takesitall]

Oh, Doctor Ratio? The one who published that article on the interactions between demonic energies and fae?

[ignoranceisblight]

That's me, yes.

[When they get to the restaurant, he holds the door open for Aventurine.]

[takesitall]

[He murmurs a thank you.]

You mentioned in your paper that you needed more hands-on experience with demons, right?