Bonding Time

[Guest]

The lighting was dim, the air was thick with the aroma of cigarette smoke and alcohol and the sound of idle chatter and drunken mumbling filled the ears of the young alchemist. Spade, Josef's 'dashing' commanding officer had requested his presence in this quaint little pub known as Biermann's. It wasn't a bad place, it was your typical late night drinking spot with nice soft music, the sports channel on a flat screen against the wall, which the bartender was currently watching, and only a handful of patrons, not to crowded at all. But Josef could only imagine what Spade had planned, knowing him it was probably another night of getting shitfaced and then prowling the town looking for women to seduce. Not that it wasn't fun to be Spade's wingman during his drunken adventures, but it wasn't really Josef's place to be doing the same thing, leaving him the sober one of the two, driving his officer here and there and apologizing to any women he might have harassed.

Josef reached for his glass of light beer and took a quick sip, shuddering as the bitter taste of alcohol washed down his throat. For the sake of social flexibility and appreciation of liquor culture, Josef tried to build his alcohol tolerance from time to time, but could never really get used to the taste. He was now 18, old enough to drink distilled liquor and had been old enough to drink beer and wine since he was only 16, but never had he been drunk in his life.

Josef sat the glass back on the table and looked at his watch. A quarter past nine, when was Spade ever going to get here?

((NOTE: The Drinking Age in Germany is 16 for wines and beers, and 18 for distilled liquor))

[Spade Aeries]

You see, the problem was that Spade was already there! Walking with his usual drunken stupor, he approached the 18-year-old who looked like a five year old that didn't like candy. Spade shook the water from his hands, the sound of the hand dryer in the background. Screw that shit; all they ever did was make your hands cold. Spade plopped on the cushioned bar stool and grinned his crooked trade mark smile at his second in command. "Yo!" He raised a hand despite the fact that they were now sitting face-to-face. That was Spade for ya. He was dressed in his usual flashy clothes: tight, leopard pants, and a black, unbuttoned silk dress shirt. "Tonight, you will learn the art of being drunk. Though you shouldn't be like me--no--I'm a terrible person; don't ever be like me." Spade sounded like he was joking, save for the rare sparkle of self-loathing that collected in his jade eyes that were forever hidden behind the glamorous designer shades sitting on his nose. "I know you hate the taste, but I do have a solution, you see." He smiled for real now, trying to rewrite the slip in his lovable playboy facade. "Do..." he leaned in close to Josef's ear, "you want to know what it is? Or...do you just want to be the driver of the womanizer mobile forever?"