recolle | [Closed]

Noctis.

[Dante's actually a little bit surprised to see Noct out and about on his own; he's used to seeing him with Prompto by his side, talking animatedly as usual. But hey, there's nothing wrong with either option!]

What's up? Going anywhere in particular?

[ Yeah, they usually show up most places as a pair, don't they? Noctis sighs casually, swinging his arms a bit as he tries to acclimate to the situation. He shrugs. ]

Not really. Was mostly trying to get familiar with the area.

[ He points behind him with his thumb. ]

I live a couple blocks down. We've mostly been driving around.

You?

Meeting up with a few people. Just hanging out, being stupid, the usual.

[He pauses a moment, looking thoughtful, and then he gestures with a nod of his head in the direction he'd been heading.]

You wanna come with? Could be fun. It'd get you a better idea of the city, that's for sure.

[ He can't say he's ever really gone anywhere without Prompto yet. But it's not like Dante is a stranger. Still, he looks behind him as if that somehow gives him the answer, then looks back, shrugging. ]

Sure, why not? Don't have anywhere to be tomorrow.

[ Noctis walks a bit further forward to catch up with Dante. ]

Where were you headed?

Enprise. Around this time of night, most of the business-types have gone home. There's some pretty neat stuff there if you know where to look... a few buddies and I were going to try and see if we could get some treats in to the animals at the zoo.

[Noctis, say no. There's a mischievous grin on Dante's face that says there's more to this adventure than he's giving away. This is a terrible idea.]

They always look like they could use some entertainment, you know?

[ Noctis raises a brow, a bit too curious for his own good. He's not really the type to do what Dante is suggesting but...

Well, Prompto seems to really like this guy. And it's not like he has anything better to do, so...

He shrugs. ]

Sure, why not?

Great. [The grin on Dante's face seems to lose its mischievous tilt, and he gestures Noct onward with him, leading the way toward an overlook near the zoo. But they've got some time to talk before they get there!]

So what were you gonna do if you hadn't run into me? Wander until someone tried to mug you, or...?

[ He's got a very, very small feeling that it's likely a bad idea he's going. Mostly because he has no idea what he's getting himself into, judging by the stories he's only heard in scattered spurts from Prompto.

Oh well.

Noctis scoffs at the question. ]

Oh yeah, because I actively chase that kind of thrill.

YOLO, right?

[Oh, oh, Noctis. You are really making the wrong sort of friend here if you don't actively chase reckless thrills...]

You know, you're saying that ironically, but it's true. You've only got one life--it's stupid not to make the most of it. [A shrug.] Maybe that doesn't mean going out and trying to get mugged, but you've gotta take risks and chase after something, right?

[ He's not 100% sure what he's getting himself into, but oh well. Noctis shrugs his shoulders as he tucks his hands into his pockets, continuing to follow beside Dante. ]

That was the intention when I moved here. Don't exactly have much experience going out. Hate to say it, but up until recently, my life has been a pretty drawn-out bore.

Then you're in the right place at the right time.

[Excuse him, Dante's just going to uh... pull out a flask. Yeah, it's time to pregame on the walk over.]

Heads up, it's pretty strong. If you want, we can stop somewhere and grab something as a chaser first.

[It's vodka. Unflavored, because of course it is. There's a strong smell of alcohol coming from it--he doesn't buy that bottom shelf shit, this is the good stuff!]

[ He's not kidding about the life he led before his arrival here. The last time Noctis had drank was the last time Dante had come over to his place, which is coincidentally when they met. As Dante pulls out a flask, his brow raises a bit. Not so much out of surprise, but more out of uncertainty.

Still, curious as he looks, he still reaches out and accepts it. ]

How bad can it be?

[ Even beer got easier to drink after a while. Noctis looks at the flask, before ultimately shrugging and lifting it towards his lips. ]

Bottoms up.

[ He takes a swig. Too hard, probably, because what greets him is what he can only mentally compare to rocket fuel. He swallows it despite himself, it burns like a son of a bitch, and results in Noctis wrinkling his nose and immediately coughing. ]

Guh--

The hell is this?

[Dante hides his amusement by taking the flask back, taking another shot of it himself.]

Vodka. It's gotta be a specific type of night for whiskey.

[And he's out of gin!]

Beers don't have that much alcohol in them, so you've gotta drink a lot more of it to get the same buzz straight liquor gives you. I'm betting this flask could last you the whole night if we had to worry about conserving it.

Luckily, we don't have to.

You want that chaser I was talking about?

[He asks, holding out the flask toward Noct again with a grin. It's easier with something else to chase the burn--he won't judge!]

[ God, his throat burns. But after a moment, there's actually a pleasant warmth to it. Noctis clears his throat a little, shaking his head while Dante goes on a bit.

Honestly, this is probably a terrible idea. While Noctis isn't desperate to be popular, he does... Somewhat care about how others think of him. But only a little. And enough for his own sense of pride to kick in. If it gets easier after a few seconds, he can handle it again. He's versatile! ]

Please.

[ He scoffs the word. Chaser. The only thing he's a big baby about are vegetables, and this actually has a more enjoyable benefit to the suffering it brings. So he takes the flask and takes another swig. Despite the way his face distorts and tightens, he doesn't cough the second time around. ]

I'm good. Let's get started.

[Dante's laughing, but it's not at Noctis specifically. It's more at the sheer amount of disdain in his voice as he scoffs at the idea. After Noct's second shot, Dante will take the flask back, taking another swig of it himself and grinning.]

Good man.

[By the time they make it to the overlook, the flask is nearly empty and Dante is feeling great. As he'd told Noctis, there are a few others waiting for them at the overlook, a case of beer at their feet and someone's golf clubs sitting nearby.]

Hey, brought someone new with me this evening. This's Noctis--don't try and scare him off, he's pretty cool.

[Done deal! The others introduce themselves: Ananth, his boyfriend Damien, and a young woman named Tam ("Call me Tamara and it'll be the last thing you say," she threatens, holding up a fist, but Dante interrupts her with a flap of his hand: "Down, girl, he wouldn't have even known that was your full name if you hadn't said it first." There's a short scuffle as she tries to toss him over her shoulder and almost manages, but Dante's laughing and sliding away before she can readjust her stance to get the right leverage).]

So Noct, you golf at all? Prompto showed me a picture once of you in this getup that looked like it was for golfing. He said it was for fishing, though.

[ By the time they make it to the overlook, Noctis is feeling pretty... Decent, actually. He's hardly got the tolerance that Dante has, it seems, because he feels pretty tingly and wobbly. Then again, he also weighs 120lbs and looks like a stick man. It's no wonder he's a bit of a cheap date. He can at least walk a decent line and he's not yet slurring.

What he can do is introduce himself to these new people with ease. He shakes Anath and Damien's hand, doing the same with Tam and being sure to call her just that.

"Right. Just Tam. Got it."

It's a touch awkward at first, but Noctis is at least managing a smile. To Dante's question, he looks a bit confused, but eventually nods when he gets it. ]

Golf? No. I try to keep boring hobbies to a limit of one.

The gloves're good for fishing.

Edited 2017-09-03 19:05 (UTC)

So you're admitting fishing is boring?

[Beat.]

It's cool, golf's not that great either. Kind of required though, if you've got a name that means anything. I'm surprised you don't.

Anyway, this is a little bit different than normal golfing. Watch.

[It seems like it's Damien's "turn," as he's digging into a box for something that looks like a normal golf ball, setting it up on a tee jammed into the ground. "Go for the monkey enclosure!" Tam suggests, pointing toward the zoo.

"I'll hit it where I hit it!" Damien fires back. "Some of us can't aim!"

He takes the driver that Ananth's holding out to him, lines up his shot... and hits the ball, sending it soaring off the overlook and into the zoo, falling in the center of one of the walkways and seeming, if Noct can see it, to fall apart on impact.]

Wow. You weren't kidding, you can't aim.

[ Noctis snickers. He's not gonna deny that fishing is pretty boring, but it's fun to him. He could go on as to why, but he doesn't. He comes closer as the others prepare the small golf-ball and he tilts his head in curiosity. ]

Golfing's more of a... It's my dad's thing. When he's trying to close a deal.

[ His brows knit. ]

Why... Are we knocking golf-balls into animal enclosures? Doesn't seem safe.

Exactly why I'm surprised you don't know how to. You're his heir, right?

[Look, he hasn't paid that much attention to how Noct's family works, he just knows how it usually goes. He's expected to follow his dad into the music world, Vera's expected to succeed her father and have an heir, Ari will inherit the Alessandro empire when her mom passes away... so the same's probably true for Noctis, right?]

They aren't actually golf balls. Some idiots decided to hire Ananth on at a science lab--

["Hey, watch it!" Ananth interjects.]

--and they don't care if he does some experiments in his free time. [He crosses over to the box, grabbing one out of it and extending it toward Noct.] It's salt. They put out salt licks for the animals all the time, it won't matter if we throw some extra in there now and then.

[And sure enough, it is! Golf balls made of salt, what will they think of next.]

[ Noctis at least manages a laugh at that first question. ]

I am, but that doesn't mean I'm supposed to be some professional golfer.

[ Although, he does have a point. Most of his father's big clients are into golf. Because of course they are. Noctis waves dismissively at the idea either way, his attention going back to the task at hand. His attention shifts to Ananth's brief outburst, and he manages a lopsided smirk at that.

Once it's explained to him, he finds it kind of admirable that they're doing this. Must make the animals happy, and Noctis definitely likes animals. ]

Need some help?

Luckily you don't have to be a pro golfer to drive a few.

[At Noct's question, he grins.] Why do you think we're out here? Hey Damien, pass off the clubs!

[Damien will go ahead and surrender the driver he's been using, and Dante offers it to Noctis.]

Here you go. Set it up and take a shot!

[ Noctis knits his brow a touch as Dante hands him the club, looking over the enclosure. He's not entirely sure if he's a good aim or not; most he's ever really done is mini-golf if he has to be honest. But how hard can it be?

Hey, the animals'll like it... ]

Alright then.

[ He takes a special ball and sets it on the floor, hand over his brow while he narrows his gaze to gauge. A bit dramatic, it's mostly for show, and he wears an unamused expression the whole time.

Noctis drops his hand to hold the club, taking a preliminary, slow swing to make sure his aim is right, and... ]

Four!

[ He doesn't even know what that means. But it must help in whacking that ball because it goes right over the enclosure and straight into the center. ]

[Dante's grinning as Noctis takes his shot, trying not to laugh. But hey--it's a good shot, at least!]

Nice! Perfect aim. If it weren't for the yell, I would've thought you'd done this before.

Hey, look--

[Already the animals are coming to investigate the salt, which shattered on contact with the ground to spread out for them to share.]

[ Noctis cranes his neck to try and get a better look, watching as the treat falls to the attention of the animals. It's a bit of a weird activity, but once he sees the animals come over to investigate it and dig in? It's kinda worth it.

He smiles a bit. ]

Awesome.

You guys do this often?

Every once in a while. [A shrug.] Not too often, otherwise the zookeepers will start getting suspicious, but it's fun to see how far in we can hit them.

Here, my turn.

[And then they proceed to spend a while hanging out with the others, drinking and driving salt balls into the zoo, and it's a grand old time and we can timeskip to later if we want 8Db]

[ Honestly, he didn't think that he would find something like this fun and thrilling. It's risky enough that they could very well get into trouble, but it doesn't seem to be going on that direction.

That could very well change with how much drinking follows. They're there for some more time, and Noctis is as lightweight as can be. He's not stammering, but the slurs have kicked in, and he's certainly become more social with the rest of the group.

And the party hasn't ended yet. The night is still young, etc., etc.! And since they're on the way to a bar, Noct comes around and pats Dante on the shoulder. ]

First round's on me, 'kay?

[It's all right, he's in good company. They're all a little (a lot) drunk, and there's plenty of laughter as they're wandering down the street. Ananth is currently trying to force Damien to give him a piggyback ride, but they're having a little bit of trouble getting the timing right to actually get him up on Damien's back (and it doesn't help that the one time they've managed it so far, Tam snuck around behind them with a devious little grin before winding up and whap! to Damien's ass; he'd yelped in surprise and straightened up and Ananth had, predictably, gone tumbling off...).

Dante grins widely at Noct's offer, slinging an arm around his shoulder. (Sorry, Noct, he's a very happy drunk!)]

Well, I won't say no to that!

You got a fake? Or are you actually old enough to buy legally?

[ Noctis isn't the most social of people-- He tries to be, but it usually runs dry or he can only manage a few words here and there. Somehow, after a few drinks, he's far more social than he knew he could be. He's amused by Dante's friends, laughing at the ridiculousness that they share. He's not much for contributing, but he feels more comfortable with Dante at least, considering they know each other better.

He nearly falls forward when Dante slings an arm around him, realizing that he's starting to have a slightly difficult time walking. Noctis is a bit of a lightweight, after all. ]

Uh...

[ He pats his wallet, as if he maybe has a fake I.D. and forgot it. It's an empty gesture, because he does not have that at all. ]

That, uh.

Thaaat I didn't put into consideration.

[Oh, Noctis. Dante's laughing, but it's not meant in a mocking way.]

That's all right. I'll buy this time, and you can next time.

When do you turn 21, anyway?

[ Truth be told, he's a massive lightweight. So it's pretty unsurprising that he's already slurring a little. ]

Uh...

I'unno, like, next month?

Hey, Damien--toss me the bottle of baby oil, would you? --wait, really? Next month!

[NEXT MONTH IS IN LIKE LESS THAN FIVE DAYS???? Abruptly Dante's pulling his arm away from Noct (though that's partly to catch the little bottle that Tam lobs backward at him).]

What are we doing for it? And here, put some of this on the back of your hands. They'll probably mark you since you don't have a fake, but once we get inside the baby oil will let you wash it off easier.

[ Noctis sort of just follows along, without any fuss or concern really. He takes the baby oil and does as he's instructed, taking a moment to realize what the plan is and nodding when he gets it. ]

Hey, good idea.

And uh... I didn't have anything planned. So, not sure on that one.

You'll have to let me know. We should do something fun!

[Unfortunately, their conversation is going to be cut short as they finally reach the club. Sure enough, there's a bouncer outside the door checking IDs, and Noct will get a pair of black Xes on the back of his hands that Dante will direct him to wash off as soon as they're inside proper. It's loud and the music is pumping, and there are people everywhere dancing, chatting, drinking, and just enjoying the atmosphere.

Once they've gotten the Xes off Noct's hands through more of Damien's baby oil and soap and water, Dante grins toward him.]

Come on! Let's go get a drink.

[NOCT DO U WANNA DANCE, LET HIM TEACH U HOW TO DANCE]

[ Noctis isn't at all familiar with clubs or even bars. It's not something he's experienced very much, and so it's almost overwhelming once they get inside. But he follows Dante's instruction and washes off the stamp on his hand. Now he's free to do all the drinking.

And he's done enough that, while this is kind of intimidating, he is 100% down for it. He bears a very similar grin to Dante. ]

Hell yeah, sounds like a plan.

[ HE'S BAD AT DANCING, YOU'LL HAVE TO TAKE THE LEAD THERE. ]

[YES LET HIM TEACH YOU THE ART OF SEDUCTION I MEAN WHAT what no we're definitely not doing that we're getting drinks, come on Noct let's go to the bar so that Dante can buy them each a double-shot that would come out a bright, vivid blue if the color existed, but reads instead as more of a vibrant silver.]

It's called an adiós, motherfucker.

[Gin, vodka, rum, ~~blue~~ caraçao, and a splash of sprite--it should go down a little bit easier than the earlier vodka did! And once the two of them have downed the shot, Dante's jerking his thumb toward the main area of the club, where the music's pounding and bodies writhing.]

Ready to go in?

[Closed]

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