The space between Sober and Drunk @lingeringfool
Yuri snorted at that, the slight roll of his eye and slumping posture suggesting that he was three sheets to the wind and there was just no going back. So, time to just enjoy the inebriated ride for all of its dizzying worth.
“I’m not a kid, you know.” His frown was accompanied by the furrow of his eyebrows, a somewhat serious expression only marred by the wobble of his head lolling back against his chair. “The others? Sure. They’re kids. But me?” Yuri rolled his head back and forth across the back of his chair as a sign of a head shake ‘no’. “I’m all grown up.”
Resting for a long moment, Yuri contemplated the grain of the wood holding up the ceiling before suddenly lurching forward, as if he was afraid of suddenly falling. The sudden movement caught him off balance and he quickly reached for the old man so as not to fall on the floor. Of course, it helped that he wasn’t actually falling so the grip on the black hem of that worn purple jacket was a bit excessive.
“What I don’t understand.” Yuri managed once he was sure that he wasn’t going anywhere close to the floor, “Is how you can be such a lady killer when I never actually see you with any ladies.”
The question was so direct it could have been startling if Yuri were less drunk. Or even looking at Raven instead of examining the gold thread weaving in and out of the black hem.
“Is it a ruse?” The last of his questions was quiet, murmured under his breath as if to keep a great secret for the old man when he didn’t even know the answer yet.
He'd never once been able to really see the kid let lose like this, or really, so wasted that he was knee deep in thoughts he'd probably never let come out of his mouth. The question of why Yuri was even questioning Raven's play of character was far beyond his knowledge and he just stuck with playing around that question and try and get the kid of the subject. Raven didn't really want to answer for he didn't have much of an answer to begin with. The sudden jerking movements of Yuri, looking like he was about to fall backwards had made Raven instinctively moved out to reach for him, though he hadn't gotten very far. The whole scene went so fast that Raven hadn't managed to reach out so far across the table as much as Yuri had. Fingers had found a tight grasp to the sleeve and eyes fixated on it like it was made of magic or something and it left Raven even more clueless to this new and strange behavior of the drunken boy.
Everything felt like it went slower, the both of them quiet as Yuri was seemingly trying to get something straight. His voice speaking up making Raven jolt a bit and knock him out of mindlessly staring at the ravenette who went straight back to the un-answered topic. How did Yuri even notice so much about Raven in so little time-- "Well, it's not like ya see me everyday, all day." The older guild member tried to convince his friend. He could imagine Yuri's face when he did learn it was pretty much a huge ruse. Raven wasn't at all interested in getting any ladies, in fact he felt pretty awkward when one got the least bit interested in him romantically. The only time he'd ever really gotten a woman, at least in bed, was when he'd drank a bit too much and managed to pick one up in his drunken state. Going after woman like Judith was more like a fun game since she was quick on the denial, making him play that little role he'd obtained over the years just that much easier. Perverted old man Raven. It was an easy role to play. "Yer thinkin' too hard kiddo." Raven gave a bit of a nervous laugh, "Startin' ta scare this ol' man, here."
