Drinking on the Job

Izime passing through the remaining shelves quickly, arriving to find Constantinople leaning against one of the tanks. The exorcist looking at the ground as if considering something, before glancing up at Izime. Whistling a bit, Constantinople sucked in a breath to get his friends attention, one hand summoning a glass and a bottle. Constantinople could tell he'd put his foot in it. So sorry he was even willing to pass up on pouring two, quickly offering the single glass of much harder liquor to Izime before the psychic showed.

"Sorry mate, I've got an arse for a mouth. You're doing fine," Constantinople shook the glass, hoping Izime would take it and at least forget that the Brit was an ass and a bit of a whore. At least when it came to comparatively pure in comparison Izime who struggled to even find an interest in the first place. Teasing him over being a terrible flirt when he never flirted had been cruel, not nearly as funny as sending a frisky eel to his door.

"Take one, wash it down," Constantinople hoped that the shot would both earn him Izime's forgiveness as well as encourage his friend to not back off the thessian. Even if the woman was hung up on a braggart it would still be good for Izime to live a little outside of his work. "Forget I ever said a thing, eh?"

The anti-hero finally smiling a bit as Izime took the glass. The exorcist taking some satisfaction in knowing he'd at least nailed some aspect of what sparked the spaceman's fire, what it was he had no clue. He'd start with stripes next time, if that didn't work maybe it was the mohawk. Once Constantinople figured it out thought, regardless of Psyis' interest, he'd find Izime somebody.

Izime glanced at the glass for a moment considering the advice, wondering whether the dark liquid would make his decision go down easier, or if it would just lead to further mistakes. Finally making up his mind Izime gave his friend an appreciative nod and snatched the glass. Downing the powerfully enchanted grain-based liquor, giving a slight cough as the unfamiliar heat worked through him.

"Thanks Constantinople," Leaning back against one of the tanks the scavenger's voice came out slightly raspier. Izime leaning his head back a bit while he gave the exorcist and appreciative look; thoughts on how to handle a life full of paradoxes fading with the heat. Watching the glass burn up in a green flame, just as quickly as the liquor had burned his throat Izime looked up at his friend with a smile, "This is why you're my favorite."

"Mate I'm about your only fucking friend, let alone favorite." Constantinople pointed up towards to hooks and hoists that were inlaid to a beam on the ceiling of the hold, the cables fully retracted at the moment. Constantinople wanting to get Izime moving while he was still sober enough, "Now let's get your crane down and get my tank onto that teleportation circle."

"Oh no, nope, I saw that." A warning came from the shelves as a purple hand gestured as the exorcist, Psyis leaving the shelves just a bit too quickly for the two to hide their drinking on the job, "He's not operating any kind of machinery after drinking anything you poured Constantinople."

"I'm fine," Izime tried to lean forward and away from one from the tanks, only managing to tilt forward a bit before stumbling back again as he caught himself. Reconsidering for a moment as Constantinople's enchanted booze was no joke. Izime giving a slight shake of his head hoping to clear his mind, only managing to blur Psyis' look of disapproval.

"I'm fine, I'll go grab the controllerrr" Izime started to explain before he trailed off his mouth still open, slightly dumbfounded as he watched a purple haze envelope one of the tanks. The entire thing slowly rising slowly off the ground, Psyis apparently not believing he was capable.

Psyis enjoyed the silence, the only sound that of liquid toxin barely sloshing as she decided to handle the job. Blinking with zero surprise at the magicians who had intended to waste time using machinery to accomplish such a simple task. The two idiots obviously having forgotten she was here let alone that they had powers too; surely some spell could levitate a tank a short way.

Constantinople already pouring Izime another drink instead of helping Izime. Psyis was glad she had arrived before the exorcist was pouring himself his own glass. Though she was more than a bit peeved already to see him encouraging Izime, who was already acting a bit weird and didn't need more alcohol. Psyis a bit uncomfortable with the way he'd been acting in the shelves, feeling like Izime hadn't said what he meant. If he had that she didn't like it, she like the easily teased Izime better than this King of being weird.

"That is a neat trick," Izime held his hand aloft and put his fingers to his temple imitating what he'd always imagined a psychic to be. "Do I need to go above and check for clearance or can you just."

Psyis deadpanned as Izime waved his hand about with one near his temple, as if she looked anything like that when she used her thessian telekinesis. Instead, Psyis put a hand on her hip while she held the massive tank aloft with the other calling him out on his activities, "If it makes you feel helpful you can, King of Drinking on the Job."

"Damn!" Izime exaggeratedly leaned away from Constantinople as he exclaimed, drawing out the word as it rose in pitch. The alcohol encouraging a reference that didn't exist here, Izime sighing as both the people in the room just stared at him like he was crazy.

Constantinople returned the odd glance, not sure why Izime was insinuating him with that look. Waving away his friend's look as he explained, "She's talking about you lad."

"Never-mind," Izime waved to two's odd looks away, instead motioning for his newest employee to follow him, "Just try not to hit anything, and I'm not paying you."

"Slave driver, at least give us some of that off-world alcohol." Constantinople snarked as Izime immediately began to worry about his bank account, the exorcist shooting for the far-flung liquors the man had acquired. "Something decent to not that swill the Reavers drink."

"Fine we can all go to the cabin, it's got a decent view of the lead geysers of mercury," Izime scratched at his chin, considering just what he had available here on the cargo-hauler that he could offer the two, "I think I've got a bottle fermented coolant left so we can open that. It's from a leaky sub-stellar FTL drive, we might go blind for a bit, but it is damn good."

"Seriously?" Psyis stopped walking and turned to look at Izime, now intending to stick around until Constantinople left, certain she'd need to keep him sober. Hoping but not sure that this was another of the two's inside jokes. Alien or not, Psyis was positive that anything from a space-ships engines couldn't be safe for anything to consume.

"It's a few seconds, but it is smooth and surprisingly enough the most dangerous side-effect is that it's extremely drinkable." Izime explained a bit about the intoxicating liquid, not surprised that the planet-based heroine was unfamiliar with the preferred moonshine of the stars. Though Izime was aware of such so he'd also stocked something similar to common earth brews, offering that as well. "I've also got some regular Jovian suds. Not sure what it's made from but it foams and so it at least looks like beer."

"Coolant." Constantinople of course asked for the strongest.

"Beer." Psyis asking for something she was familiar with.

"OK so one Jovian bottle of mystery coming up." Izime nodded as he took their orders, already walking to a nearby shelf to retrieve the metallic bottle of 'beer' for the psychic. Walking over Izime held it out while breaking the bad news to Constantinople, "You've got to wait until we get this thing moved."

Psyis took the oddly familiarly shaped but gray bottle from Izime, one hand still supporting the tank as he led, following him closely. Directing her down the aisles of shelves, moving boxes that were never in her way, eyes always glancing upwards. Purple and blue lips sealed, keeping her observations about the nervous as a cat shop owner to herself. Izime's tension finally breaking when the tank was sat safely in the center of the spell circle.

"Bloody saved us an hour at least," Constantinople smiled broadly as his prize was finally secured, it'd only cost him a fraction of the usual price as well. Though the con-magician hadn't quite forgotten the slick more they'd pulled on his bank account, poking fun at Izime now. "You are kinda shite with that crane mate."

"I'm not that bad." Izime rolled his eyes, even though Constantinople was right. Though that was because the controls were all messed up, Izime never getting used to that in-between stage of interfacing physically. Not that he'd ever bother explaining such things as that'd just lead to more questions so. "I can get the job done at least."

"At least the portal went straight to hell you mean..." Constantinople looked up at the very new looking crane, the very new looking piece of equipment hanging on a beam that was suspended from the ships spinal support. "Along with the cables, and hoist."

"Fastest delivery I've ever delivered and our personal record" Izime tried to remember the high points, not focusing on the mess it made opening a portal to hell on his ship. The shelves and everything had been tossed about like paper, though his unexpected customers had certainly enjoyed the fiasco, "if Hell could've left us a review it'd have been five stars."

A tapping from beside them brought the two out of their reminiscing, a rather aggravated Psyis standing with her arms crossed as she looked between the two. The levels of disappointment she felt matched only by the lack of shock, that lack of shock only matched by the lack of taste in the odd beer Izime had given her.

Psyis idly knocking the bottle against her elbow, listening along as the two decided to stop digging themselves a deeper hole to crawl out of.

"Do you want a shot or do we keep talking until fun police to start asking more questions." Izime looked over at the exorcist with a bit of blame. The entire plan had been Constantinople's idea, wanting to attempt transferring the fear toxin across in a single leap instead of using the proper channels.

"A shot," Constantinople stuck with his original choice before asking Psyis about her own. The face she was making after each sip was incredibly odd, so the exorcist just had to know. "How is it?"

"It doesn't have a taste?" Psyis looked down into the bottle, the pale amber liquid revealing itself under the foam as she sloshed it about. It was sudsy sure, but aside from the sensation that she'd been drinking there was nothing to taste which was an odd feeling. "So not bad but it really can't be good either?"

"Jovian's have different taste receptors than us or Thessian's too I guess," Izime nodded towards the bottle in the psychic's hand in explanation. Already planning to grab a third glass for the coolant from the cabins as he made his way up the stairs, "that's why they love those and the cubes."

"I'm going to handle this," Constantinople gave a cheeky wave and tossed an idle thought at the Psychic, hopeful with his warning but the hint should keep the Thessian's gloves on. With a bit more hand waving that Izime's spell Constantinople activated the circle at his feet, vanishing with a final parting jab. "Be back in a bit and I expect my glass waiting ya knob."

Izime nodded at the exorcist a bit awkwardly before looking down to see Psyis approaching the stairs. The A.I.'s mind trying to think of idle things to fill the minutes Constantinople would be gone unable to figure out just how tonight had gotten so out of hand. Now he was alone with a mind-reader, though Izime wasn't sure if it was really her psychic abilities that were making him so nervous. Psyis' red eyes finding his just as the searing light of the teleportation circle activated. Izime's eyes narrowing under the fierce glow, watching the shadows play across Psyis face as he considered.

Psyis didn't bother turning around to chastise Constantinople, simply filing away the unasked-for tidbit as she instead focused on Izime. One hand one the rail as Izime's eyes were still watching her, a bit of a contrast to the normal bravado she was used to from Steven. Looking down at her tennis shoes at they made their way past the boots on the stairs Psyis had to agree with Constantinople. The exorcist may have pushed a bit too hard, red eyes quickly glancing up the stairs.

Psyis glad she didn't blush, not to the degree Izime was simply by being close to her now. It was like the man's brain was frying, something she would tease him for if Constantinople hadn't told her to take care with his friend. Psyis imagined she would be a bit nervous to if she'd never really had a relationship and then got shoved into a blind date. Izime had certainly taken tonight better than she would have, let alone all the other time the exorcist had gotten pushy. Psyis imagining that was the reason Constantinople saw his friend so rarely.

"Come on," Psyis looked back pretending nothing was off motivating Izime with a motion of her barely sipped bottle. "I want something better than an actual mystery flavor."

"Glass of coolant it is but seriously the going blind thing isn't a joke." Izime nodded, trying to shake away the bit of data that was etching itself into his memory. The drinks and Constantinople obviously getting to him, Izime mentally dragged the last minute to the recycling bin and deleted it. The way Psyis white hair caught on those little ridges on her ears was pointless, useless information, and could be erased.

It'd be better if the whole memory would stay gone in fact, Izime a bit self-conscious of his own thoughts around the psychic as she seemed to creep into his mind. Knowing ironically enough he was one of the few people who didn't need to be. Izime tried to reassure himself knowing Cradle was keeping her at bay, a bit more confident watching the door to the pilot's cabin approach.

Izime unaware that his own bond was and had been silently watching him the entire time, too focused on not tripping up around the alien further to realize Cradle had silenced its end of the bond. The raven taking the time to consider Izime's interactions and listening to its nest programs internal debates and considerations. Cradle finally breaking his owners dumbfounded spell as it flapped to his shoulder, deciding to be a bit more on guard for its bond's sake.

The female still needed to do better than helping out around the nest just this once. The thieving crow had immediately started following Izime just as soon as she'd seen their hoard. If she thought a bit of moving things a few things, strutting about, and fouling their air was going to win her a spot it wasn't.

Cradle's talons tensing as it looked at its pheromone addled human wishing it could flush his system; the mixture of alcohol and brain chemistry were a bad combination. The thessian's body wasn't helping but that was likely a part of her plan. If she thought Cradle was going to let a biological attack slide just because it wasn't one, then she was still the same old Stupid Purple.

Black wings flapping to sweep away both the biological creatures logic numbing chemically charged clouds. Cradle wanting them dispersed well before they entered the cabin where the two would be in even closer proximity.

"OK, OK, Cradle you can come to." Izime gave a slight chuckle, leaning his head aside as Cradle flapped for attention. The raven seeming a bit upset, Izime's bond giving him back a silent cold shoulder as he checked on it.

"Someone jealous?" Psyis turned to see Cradle giving Izime a frustrated look as it flapped, one wing smacking the side of his face.

"I guess..." Izime gave the psychic a look, narrowing his eyes as soft metal brushed his cheeks, he figured Cradle would speak up if there was an issue. Izime asking all the same just to be sure. "You're not petting us, are you?"

"No, I trust you..." Psyis shook her head giving Izime a smile before quickly giving an addition, not wanting to Izime to think the wrong thing. She'd had Steven take a sentence like that and try to use it as a free pass for anything he'd felt like with her. Psyis stumbling through her reasoning, realizing Izime probably wasn't even thinking anything similar. "Somewhat, n-not completely of course. Enough that I'm not going to try and read your mind or use my powers on you for no reason."

"Thanks," Izime breathed a bit easier stepping past the psychic to enter the doors code, turning back he explained a bit of what was making him uneasy with the thessian, "I've never been friends with a mind-reader, so this already feels tense enough."

Holding a hand out Izime welcomed the Thessian to the small flight deck, the bright glow of molten lead already spilling through the doorway as the geysers of mercury were erupting in full force. Watching as red eyes widened and Psyis lips pulled back, Izime realized he was smiling to. Smiling simply because Psyis was, large enough that he could feel his cheeks pulling back as well.

Forgetting Psyis for a moment as he recalled the last time he had stood at a window with a view into space alone with a woman and felt happy. Giving the briefest glance at the gently curved shadow that stood in-front of the viewing port careful to not think of bluing ears. A memory of another window bringing that smile down faster that Mercuries gravity could bring the liquid metal back down to the surface of the planet.

Shelving the more painful of the two memories that were crawling their way out of his mental recycling bin Izime went to find that engine coolant.

A couple glasses of something so strong you'd go blind sounded pretty nice right now.