A little something I whipped up for @vellichorom 's Thierry– another character study I did just some time ago. As always, thank you for lending me your character to play with and letting him interact with my Narrator, Luke!
I just wanted to post it ln this blog for safekeeping. Here you go!
Luke does not often go to recreational spaces like these. Bars, taverns, pubs? They do not seem to fit his type of pasttime.
But who is he to turn down a good promotion? The bar's happy hours started at an optimum time for him, and the offer of multiple rounds of his favorite fruit cocktails was too much for him to resist. Luke liked this bar anyways; they served good food for a reasonable price, and many Narrators frequented the place for their (admittedly delicious) fried calamari rings and roast chicken strips.
Even if he might not be the type to eat greasy food or try alcoholic beverages, Luke would still find it compelling to visit. Since his fall into the rift and his subsequent integration into the multiversal region, he had not had the chance to acquaint himself with other Narrators, so the idea of seeing many of them out and about, milling around like the bar was their natural element, was fascinating to Luke. He *must* experience it at least once, if not just to observe how other Narrators act in such an environment.
But perhaps he had made a mistake, for he had not been given the memo that this was not a solo event. Many of the people present have come in pairs, triads, quads, and any assortment of groupings other than one. It made Luke feel terribly out of place, especially when a waiter drifted closer to him and says, "table for how many, sir?"
Luke was seriously considering giving up on his first foray outside his comfort zone, when a heavy hand descended upon his shoulder. He jolts and looks behind him to see a man, most probably a Narrator, giving the waiter a truly shit-eating grin.
"Isn't it obvious?" the man huffs. "Table for two, please."
"Apologies, but who are–"
"Can you make it snappy?" The stranger says, raising his voice to drown out Luke's.
He had no chance to protest. The waiter nods and gestures to a far corner, then proceeds to lead them to it. A bewildered Luke is then steered by the new Narrator, towards the direction of where the waiter had gone off to. Luke was too stunned to say anything when he is offered a chair.
Luke blinks owlishly when the other man throws himself in the seat across him, slouching lazily and scratching his chin as if this was the most normal occurence in the world.
"Pardon the rudeness," Luke starts, still very much confused, "but what do you think you are doing?"
"Saving you a good time, that's what," the Narrator says smoothly, yawning as if he had not done anything strange. He folds his arms over the table and leans forward. "You were about to leave because you were alone, weren't you?"
Luke purses his lips, not knowing what to say. It was none of this man's business, yet he seemed as if he truly cared whether Luke, a complete stranger, was ready to leave the bar. It made him stop short of explaining himself. But from the looks of the man's smug expression, it seens as if he had already come to a conclusion.
"I was. How does this fact concern you in any way?"
"It doesn't. But a shame if you left right now just because you don't have a friend or partner, eh? I've gone many times. Happy hours here are too good to pass up just because of that."
Well. He wasn't opposed to staying any longer, but this strange Narrator had Luke eyeing the other critically.
From what he's seen, he wasn't a good deal shorter than Luke's normal height, and appeared to be a human on the somewhat average side. He'd have thought this Narrator to be completely biological, if it weren't for the slight static of his technopathic powers alerting him that this man's *otherness.*
If Luke could sense this much, then the man could have digital origins, but nothing about him seemed to point to any of this, so it did throw Luke off quite a bit. He surmises that he should treat this man as a completely ordinary human Narrator for now.
Luke's eyes flash, and he gleams some of the man's emotions from his mind. Languor, joy, expectation, and a slight bit of boredom on the side. No ill intent that he could detect. And his name–
"Thierry. Who are you?" he asks bluntly at the exact moment Luke reads his name off his code.
"Well, Luke, don't I get a thank you?"
Well, he can't read anything more from the man, his biological components throwing Luke's powers off. Oh well. If that's the case, perhaps he could humor this man at the very least.
"Very well. Thank you," Luke concedes. "And you? Are you also alone? Is that why you decided to accompany me?"
The man seemed surprised by the question. "Hell no. I'm waiting for my friends to get here, actually. I'm only keeping you company 'cause I felt sorry for your ass."
Luke's eyebrows raise. Alright, a man who's a bit on the tactless side– but has a good heart nonetheless.
"You didn't need to do that," Luke says slowly, "but I appreciate it, I suppose."
"'Course you do. Say, you wanna talk about something that happened to me last week?"
Before he knew it, Luke is deep into a casual conversation with Thierry, who talks and talks as if the world would end if he did not. Luke does not mind, though– he matches the man beat for beat, his energy infectious.
Soon enough, Thierry is glancing at his watch, and he ends the lighthearted conversation with two hands slapped onto the table.
"RIGHT! I've kept you long enough. Gotta go; my friends are probably going to be here soon."
And so Luke waves him a quiet goodbye, even after realizing that Luke had bought two drinks for the man and the other hadn't bothered repaying him. The man deserved that much; he did prevent Luke from leaving after all.
And so the rest of Luke's evening was spent drinking cocktails and observing the people milling around. The crowd thickens at one point and he loses sight of Thierry, so he quickly aims his attention elsewhere.
That is, however, when the sound of broken glass and yelps resound throughout the entire bar, and Luke swivels his head to see his new acquaintance being yanked by the collar towards an enraged-looking man– possibly a Stanley.
"What is your problem?!" The Stanley spits. "You spilled your shitty drink all over the front of my shirt, and you just walk away?"
"Ffffuuuck off, I said I was sorry," slurs Thierry, "Not my fault I didn't see you. I was busy being hotter sssshiiit than y-you, you know?"
"You just stood on our table and danced to Lady Gaga, and you think you're hot shit. Sure, fucker. Maybe on another planet."
"I'm here to give this crowd a motherfucking show," the Narrator says with bright eyes. Luke balks and sets his drink aside, already feeling like a disaster was about to occur. He stands up and starts making his way to the duo.
"Yyyoooou know, big boy, I give the best shows. You wanna see?" continues Thierry in mock sweetness, causing the other to snarl and ball his fists.
Just before the Stanley could take a swing, Luke smoothly intervenes and grabs Thierry's arm.
"Apologies, gentlemen. I didn't quite see my, ah, friend making quite a commotion. I'll make sure he's under control next time."
The Stanley gives him the dirtiest look he's ever been given, and snorts. "Get that asshole away from my face, and we might not see any fights today."
He didn't need to be told twice. Luke drags the obviously drunk Thierry with him, out of the bar, and starts hauling him with all his strength. His tail wraps around Thierry's midsection and strains to keep him upright.
What happened? Why did he get so drunk, and why had no one helped him? Luke turns to Thierry and surveys him. Bloodshot eyes, unfocused pupils. Yep, definitely wasted.
"Where are your friends? Why aren't they here?"
Thierry's lip wobbles, and it looks like he's on the verge of tears. "They couldn't make it. I was alone."
Oh. Luke looks around, at the empty street, wishing someone could help him right now. He was bad at comforting people, that's what his track record says.
"Do they just not like me? Maybe Iiiiii'm just an annoying little piece of shit. That's what those people at the bar c-called me," Thierry continues, eyes trained on the ground. Luke bites his lip when the other Narrator falls silent.
"I'm sure they were just occupied with other activities," Luke says gently.
"Buuuuut they still blew me off."
"They wouldn't do that on purpose."
"How do you know? Yyyouuuuu don't even know me!" Thierry practically snarls. "You heard what that guy in the bar said. I'm an asshole. No one, no one would care to–"
"You never knew me, yet you still chose to help me out even when I haven't asked. That says far more about your character than anything anyone says about you," Luke points out.
Thierry says nothing. Luke almost thinks that Thierry is digesting his words, but then the other man wobbles and heaves all over the pavement. Luke retreats but leaves his tail coiled around Thierry.
But then Thierry wipes his mouth, glances up at Luke, and nods weakly.
"Okay. Okay. If you sssay so, you silly sexy snake man. I probably won't remember this in the morning, but I'll believe you."
*Snake man?* Luke's lips twitch as he disregards the strange nickname. His fingers dive into his coat pocket and pull out his phone.
"I hope you do. I am my time to bring you home after all. Now, address?
tangentwithtanner
vaporwave
prguitarman
pixelskylines
turnnoffyourmind
