7 Downtime (1/2)

Noise. Lots of it hit my ears when the door closed behind us as we stepped further inside the tavern.

Most of the Evadale Knights were keeping to their groups, no doubt debriefing over their mugs of ale or other beverages they drank. Some sat pensively at booths to watch the bra.s.s band or on stools at the long strip of bar on one side of the room.

Behind the bar counter were vixen-head animachines serving drinks from shelves that were populated with s.h.i.+ning gla.s.s bottles and flasks filled with various coloured liquid that would release inhibitions and temporarily turn minds into mush.

It was my first time entering a drinking zone other than Gat s.h.i.+em's kitchen bas.e.m.e.nt.

I naturally gravitated to a red cus.h.i.+oned booth near the stage, ignoring Death and War's scolding for running off.

Like the knights, I wanted a place to empty my head too. It had been a h.e.l.l of a long day. Actually long few months or was it years? It was hard to think in time since I had been thrown in and out of different time periods due to the dimension slip's side effects.

Not to mention, reverting h.e.l.l's Labyrinth back to the right time and fate had left a weird disorientation of days and years in my head. So, I hoped downing some sweet and bitter alcohol would clear away those side effects.

Oddly, the music's tw.a.n.g and swinging drum beats was doing the trick instead.

The large gla.s.s wall screen, opposite from where I sat, caught my interest. A group of knights peered at the screen like they were watching something. Some of them clutched white paper stubs in their hands. Their eyes held hopeful expressions.

”Man. This place be rockin'.” War observed the atmosphere with a wide grin when he and Death took a seat at my booth.

His eyes were lit up with excitement.

”Here you go,” Wilfred said when he placed frothing mugs of ale before three of us.

I yelped when Lita snuggled her way in between Death and I, so we filled up one booth seat before the table.

War cursed when Wilfred and Jensen pushed him close to the edge, so they could fill up the other side.

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”Jensen!” I piped up. ”Finally decided to show your face!”

I smiled at the other gla.s.ses wearing knight of Trix's squad. His blue eyes were less animated behind his square shaped frames than usual.

My eyes widened at the bulge of his biceps when he folded his arms over his broad chest, and I saw a lot of greenish stains all over his navy blue waistcoat and rolled up sleeves of his white cotton s.h.i.+rt.

”What happened to your tie?” I grimaced at the rips and snags to his navy blue tie. In fact, it looked like it had been gnawed and chewed on.

”Don't ask.” Jensen waved off my question with his large calloused hand that was free from a glove.

His dark hair was spiked and stylishly messy giving him an image of laid back and chilled. Although, having mucus stains all over your clothes and looking like having survived h.e.l.l didn't do much for that impression.

”Bah! I saw you guys had all the fun whilst I was left behind with Andy and Miller to mop up Rats.h.i.+ki demons and their s.h.i.+t.” Jensen loudly complained.

He pinched Wilfred's arm really hard, giving him a cranky frown. ”Thanks for nothing, mate! You guys left me on that rock with Orion Squad and Andy's b.l.o.o.d.y yapping about protocols!”

”Not like I could help it! The tunnel path split between us. You couldn't jump over fast enough!” Wilfred countered with his reason that stirred a heated discussion between the two.

War sighed and stood to take his drink to a vacant stool before the bar counter. I decided to follow, leaving Death behind with the others.

”Hey Famisto. Yah got some guts yah know, back there with h.e.l.l's Labyrinth,” War said when we took our seats.

We picked at salted peanuts from the bowl an animachine placed before us.

”Really?” I blushed.

War chuckled. ”Dude, save yah blushes for yah man.”

”WHAT?!” I blurted, almost spitting ale all over the bar counter's surface.

”He be a good man dat Leinard, doing his best to keep yah safe an all.” War rambled on absent-mindedly. ”If yah were gunnin' for the other, I'd clobber yah.”

”What the h.e.l.l are you on about War?!” I frowned, not getting his meaning.

It was almost like he was giving his blessings for my marriage.

”I'm not getting married you git! Besides, the Colonel doesn't swing that way.”

I gulped at the memory of when I was in Charlese's body and Leinard's declaration of love for another person when he realized the woman he had unrequited feelings for had indirectly dumped him.

”So, he liked chicks before dudes.” War mused out loud. ”She had a nice rack.”

”Yeah. He likes chicks, alright?” I naturally answered.

I paused, realizing what I was answering to.

”Wait! Did you just read my mind?” I gasped.

War let out an evil chuckle and downed his ale in one go.

”Oi! Bar Lady! One more please!” He called out to an animachine for a refill.

”Don't change the b.l.o.o.d.y subject War!” I growled at his smug expression.