167 Drinks on me (1/2)

Ry's drunken smile turned to his brother. There were trails of tears streaming down both cheeks, obviously from several good laughs, and his entire face was red with the flush of drink. ”Look who it is!” Ry called out to everyone else at the table, patting a familiar old man's back as he did. He turned his unfocused gaze back to Arei. ”What happened this time?” He leaned toward the old man. ”You'd think instead of bothering me, he'd be laying the moves to that girl instead.” He elbowed one of the barmaids to his left and winked suggestively. ”AmIright?!” He slurred his words together.

Arei rolled his eyes. ”You're completely smashed, aren't you?”

Ry let out a burst of laughter as he pinched his fingers together and held them up. ”Lil bit...” He nodded to the old man beside him. ”It's his fault. He recognized me as I was leaving to come meet you and asked me to have a drink with him for old times' sake.”

”For old times' sake? Ry you only barely know the man.” Arei complained as he held a handout in the old man's direction.

The old man covered his mouth with the back of his hand and leaned in toward Ry, ”Ye be right, boy's stiffer than me scotch.” He whispered loudly before lifting the glass and clinking it with Ry's. ”Have a seat boy and tell us of ye woes. Bet ye have a mighty fine story since last I saw ye.” He kicked out a seat as he added. ”Ye never know talking bout ye problems may help ye work through them. Help ya see them from another's perspective.” He said raising his glass in a toast towards Arei before taking a long drink.

Arei blew out a puff of irritation, ”Fine, one drink and the briefest of summaries, then I'm dragging this drunk bastard back with me if it's the last thing I do.”

Ry laughed loudly again. ”God's be damned if you do! But I'd love to see you try!” He slapped the barmaid's back so hard, as he laughed, she looked as if she was about to throw up.

Arei rolled his eyes. ”Bring him some bread and cheese, would you.” He said to the maid. ”And a tankard for me.” He nodded as the woman struggled against Ry's grip.

When the maid was long gone, the old man turned to him and asked. ”Well? Ye promised us a tale, did you not?” The old man sat back in his chair crossing his arms over his chest.

The old man's eyes widened. ”Don't tell me this beast ye boys were hunting be the same creature that has ye head over tits in love...” He sent Ry a questioning look and they both shared in a hardy laugh when Ry nodded.

”And to top it off, Arei over there, is terrified she's going to flip out when he tells her the truth AGAIN, mind you, rip his dick off and eat it for breakfast!” Ry was laughing so hard by the end of it the last few words were no more than panted laughs. He grabbed one of the long pieces of bread the maid sat on the table, broke it in half and bit into it hard. ”This will be your dick.” He laughed hysterically around bites, nearly choking.

The old man turned serious eyes to Arei. ”This be true boy?”

Arei grabbed the heavy wooden tankard and turned it up in a large gulp. ”She nearly did tonight...” He said on a low embarrassed sigh.

The old man arched his brow. ”She be that outta control?”

Arei shook his head. ”No, honestly she's a fairly levelheaded girl... especially for someone who's been isolated all her life.”

The man tilted his head questioningly. ”Then what be it that has her pantaloons in such a bunch?”

Arei laughed faintly as he set back and ran his hand through his hair. ”I'm not even sure she's ever seen pantaloons.” He smiled thinking of her trying to figure out how to work the undergarments. His smile faded. ”Currently, she has no memory of our past month or so together...”

The old man laughed as he nudged Ry, ”Bet ye wish there was a way to get a woman to forget some things.” Ry chuckled as he nodded in agreement.

Arei shook his head. ”Not these things. We'd arranged our life together. I'd told her everything. She'd met most of my family... they loved her... she seemed to love them... It was going so well.”

The man leaned forward with intrigue. ”Then tell me boy, what happened?”

Arei frowned, ”Zeus... He made her forget everything.”