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[curseshit]

Rough day, eh? Time to head home to your loving spouse or to the inn to meet with your best mates. Anyway, the day is done. It was a long one too so make you sure you have a good night's rest because tomorrow is not going to be any easier. The duke wants the town to look absolutely perfect for the festival.

If you don't feel like sleeping just yet I hear the inn is running a small darts tournament. The food is bad and the rooms are small, but at least the alcohol is good. Apple cider all around!

[ mission: so about that curse! in order to break out of your curse you'll be needing three triggers or one big one. more information & examples here. hold your horses though, you aren't supposed to break free in just one night. ]

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[overthewall]

[ side-eyes the couple from across the room, tensing up almost immediately while replacing the screen in a window only a few feet away. holds little screwdriver just a little tighter.

ernest. ]

[inenochian]

[ follows the cider. he hasn't been hungry all day, the thought of eating is just completely without merit, but that. that beautiful liquid right there. ]

[ slides into his side of the booth and sets upon his cider with total concentration. ]

[rhymeswithdesign]

[has a weird prickling feeling at the back of his neck, like someone's trying to kill him with her brain. or his brain. it might be a man's brain. you never know.

sits across from sergei and takes a long drink of cider, which on top of the half a bottle of whisky really helps settle his nerves yes it does.]

So. Cake. What kind of cake d'you want? Can't stomach angel food nor devil's food, so those are out. Red velvet?

[you wanna talk cake let's fucking talk about goddamn cake.]

[overthewall]

[ finishes with the screen and shoves screwdriver back in little tool belt. whips around, catches another glimpse of the two of them and snatches a chair from the nearest table.

drags it
across the floor
all the way to ernest and sergei's booth
and spins it around before plopping down into it. ]

Fancy seeing the both of you here. Mind if I join you?

[inenochian]

...


Yes.

[rhymeswithdesign]

[whips around at the sound of dragging.

has a moment of fear detached from any sense of recognition. like. seriously who the fuck is she. before he remembers that she's his crazy ex-girlfriend. obviously. duh.

but for a moment there it was like he'd never seen the woman before in his life.]

Peg. [warily.]

Not really certain that's for the best.

[overthewall]

[ hey now. jealous does not equal crazy. those are two different descriptive words!.

lights a cigarette and leans over table to drag ashtray closer to her to flick the ashes off. clearly not picking up on social cues, or at least is just ignoring them. ]

Oi, why not? It's certainly been a while. Surely the three of us have a lot of catching up to do. [ flick ]

[inenochian]

[ stares at her cigarette.

stares at it like it is speaking a demonic rite at him. ]

[ waits until she's left it hanging off her lip to reach up and take it, tapping it out in the ashtray before sliding the whole lot out of her reach. ]

We're in the middle of discussions. Regarding the wedding.

[rhymeswithdesign]

And to think it could have been even longer still.

[gazes longingly at her cigarette, and then with growing apprehension as sergei forcefully denies it. oh. maybe it's peg he doesn't like and not cigarettes? this could be a problem because ernest is a very dedicated smoker. in fact—

reaches out and snags the cigarette, pops it between his teeth, smiles at peggy around it, and lays his hand on sergei's wrist.]

That's right. Seryozha and me are going to be married. You remember, right?

[overthewall]

How could I forget?

[ my cigarette. eyes the ashtray where her precious commodity was just placed and then once again stolen by ernest, who is the last person on this planet who deserves something so sacred.

forces a smile but it quickly fades. ]

Hadn't yet received my invitation so I briefly thought it may have been called off. Maybe it just got lost in the mail.

[inenochian]

[ looks back and forth between the two of them, still eyeing the cigarette like it's the serpent of lies in tobacco form, then downs half his cider in one go before getting to his feet. ]

I prefer lemon to red velvet, but you know which of Mister Walsh's recipes will be best. Excuse me.

[ makes a break for the door. ]

[rhymeswithdesign]

No such luck, darling, we're still terribly in love an—

[and then sergei just shoots the rest of his goddamn cider and then makes a break for it, leaving ernest totally alone and defenseless with his crazy ex-girlfriend. stares accusingly at his back until the door swings shut, then glances sidelong at peggy.]

Well. As you can see. we can't keep our fucking hands off each other. So. Yes. The fucking wedding's still fucking on.

[overthewall]

[ snorts so very unattractively and slides into the newly unoccupied booth, sliding the empty glass to the end of the table. NOT CRAZY, JEALOUS. ]

Bit of a nervous one, ain't he? Was it something I said?

[rhymeswithdesign]

He's a lot of a nervous one, mate. Who can fucking tell what's the matter with him?

[taking his pint a lot slower than sergei was, because there's not really a rush. well. he feels like he's forgetting something, but he's been feeling that since janet lef— oh fuck.

downs the rest of his pint.]

Look love, sorry, got to dash...

[overthewall]

'Course you do.

[ sits back in the booth and sets both her hands on the table in front of her, tapping her fingertips against it. ]

You cannot possibly sit more than ten minutes with me without remembering a sudden appointment, why should now be any different?

[rhymeswithdesign]

[if he wanted to roll his eyes any harder he'd have to actually remove them, because come on.]

I have got an appointment, Sergei just ambushed me with this cake bollocks.

[booty call, appointment, same deal.]

[overthewall]

[ she could do that for you. ]

Hop to it, then.

[rhymeswithdesign]

[lays palms flat on the table. doesn't stand. looks across the table at peggy.]

Well. What's one more round between embittered exes, eh? What're you having?

[pushes himself to his feet and sort of angles toward the counter because it's not really a question, it's pretty much cider or bust here.]

[overthewall]

[ doesn't. doesn't even answer. because she knows what she's getting.

what she wants. and some cider, of course. ]

Sudden change of heart? Well, I'll be.

[rhymeswithdesign]

You know me, I like to keep the ladies guessing. And the lads.

[that last bit sounds a lot like an afterthought because it is. picks up two more pints of cider from the bar in exchange for their empty glasses. brings them back ad slides one across the table to peggy.]

[overthewall]

[ curls hands around the glass and sits up a little straighter. she's trying to recall something from their defunct relationship in order to make some sort of quip about keeping her guessing but comes up short for some reason-- oh wait that could be a sassy quip. ]

And you and your lad. Trouble in paradise so soon? Better patch that up or you're headed for disaster before you get to say I do.

[rhymeswithdesign]

Oh no, we're lovely. Really. Getting on like a house on fire.

[yeah he probably shouldn't be discussing this but hey, he's had half a bottle of whisky and a pint of cider in the past hour or so. working on his second pint. it's not like the sheriff is going to investigate the validity of their marriage or anything, since she knows it's a sham.

also everyone thinks peggy's a little nuts. which is his fault, and which he will use to the greatest extent of his ability.]

[overthewall]

[ takes a long drink from the glass before she fumbles around in her pockets to find another cigarette, lighting it immediately. ]

Maybe it's just bride jitters. Hopefully they won't last for eternity, since that's what you're going to be attached to for the remainder of it.

[rhymeswithdesign]

[stares into his cider and thinks about eternity. finishes the rest of his (stolen) cigarette and the rest of his cider before he speaks again.]

I've got to go.

[stands up again, a little wobbly, makes his way out of the inn. ]