YOUR GENEROUS CRITIC

2 hours ago

@captiousGestures[CG]

I HAD NEARLY RESOLVED MYSELF TO NEVER WRITE FOR THIS TAG AGAIN, BUT @beforianTimes ISSUED A CHALLENGE I COULD NOT REFUSE. THIS QUITE POSSIBLY COULD BE THE LAST ERIDANXREADER YOU GET FROM ME. TRY TO CONTAIN YOUR RELIEF. #LEIJONWRITING #ERIDANWEEK #DAYOFREST #ERIDANXREADR #RPF #SUBSTANCE #YAOI YOU'D ENTERED THIS BAR WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS. THIS WASN'T THE KIND OF PLACE YOU WOULD USUALLY PATRONIZE, BUT WHEN A HANDSY TEAL TELLS YOU SHE KNOWS THE PERFECT PLACE FOR A RENDEVOUS, YOU GO WHEREVER THE FUCK SHE TELLS YOU. UNFAMILIAR FACES CAME AND WENT, BUT MOSTLY THEY WENT. TROLLS AND HOURS ALIKE PASS YOU BY WHILE YOU SIT CONSPICUOUSLY AT A WOBBLY LITTLE TABLE WITH A GOOD LINE OF SIGHT TO THE ENTRANCE. YOU WERE OVERDRESSED FOR THIS PLACE, WHICH MADE YOU LOOK LIKE EVEN MORE OF A LOSER WHEN YOUR EXPECTED COMPANY NEVER SHOWED. SHE'D ANSWERED THE FIRST COUPLE OF MESSAGES INQUIRING ON HER WELL-BEING OR MAYBE AN ETA WITH ASSURANCE THAT SHE WAS ON HER WAY, JUST UNFORTUNATELY DELAYED. THE THIRD MESSAGE GOT NO RESPONSE, AND YOU NEVER SENT A FOURTH. YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT SOONER. IT'S NOT LIKE YOU DIDN'T ACCEPT AFTER THE FIRST FORTY MINUTES THAT YOU'D BEEN STOOD UP. YOU MAY BE STUPID, BUT YOU'RE NOT FULLY DELUSIONAL. THERE SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ANYTHING ANCHORING YOU TO THAT CHAIR, BUT GETTING UP AND WALKING OUT WOULD MAKE THE SHAME AND DEFEAT FEEL THAT MUCH MORE REAL. YOU WANT A DRINK. THE THOUGHT IS ENOUGH TO BREAK YOUR INERTIA AND DRAG YOUR BODY TO THE BAR COUNTER IN THE BACK. IF THE BARTENDER HAS ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT YOUR OVERLONG STAY AT YOUR TABLE OR THE MIGRATION YOU'VE FINALLY MADE TO HIS BAR, IT DOESN'T SHOW ON HIS FACE. YOU PREFER THE DISINTEREST. WHATEVER HE GIVES YOU BARELY PASSES AS THE THING YOU HAD ASKED FOR, BUT IT'S CHEAP, AND IT WORKS SERVICEABLY AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR THINKING. YOU DOWN THE FIRST ONE AND NURSE THE SECOND. TURNING OUT THE CONTENTS OF YOUR ACID TRACT WOULD BE ONE HUMILITATION TOO MANY FOR THE NIGHT. WHEN THE STOOL NEXT TO YOU DRAGS NOISILY AGAINST THE CONCRETE FLOOR, YOU DON'T RAISE YOUR BULBS FROM YOUR DRINK. YOU KNOW WHO IT *WON'T* BE, SO IT'S NOT LIKE IT MATTERS WHO IT *IS*. YOU'RE ALLOWED A COUPLE MORE MOMENTS OF SILENT BROODING BEFORE YOU'RE STARTLED OUT OF IT BY TWO FINGERS TRACING A TICKLISH TRAIL DOWN YOUR FOREARM TOWARD YOUR WRIST. YOUR GAZE SNAPS UP TO THE STRANGER SMILING AT YOU FROM THE NEXT SEAT. "so noww youll look at me" YOU YANK YOUR HAND AWAY. "IF YOU WANTED MY ATTENTION THAT BADLY, YOU COULD HAVE JUST SPOKEN UP. CREEP." YOU SEE ANNOYANCE FLICKER OVER HIS FEATURES, BUT HE DISPELLS IT BEFORE IT CAN SETTLE IN. HE SEEMS TO ELECT TO IGNORE YOUR STATEMENT ENTIRELY. "wwill you let me buy you your next one?" HE GESTURES TO YOUR NEAR-EMPTY GLASS. YOU SQUINT AT HIM. "AND IF I SAY ABSOLUTELY THE HELL NOT?" HE RAISES HIS PALMS TO YOU AS IF IN SURRENDER. "then id leavve i just thought it wwas a shame for someone as easy on the bulbs as you to be drinkin all alone" YOU SCOFF AT HIM, BUT ROLL THE IDEA AROUND YOUR PAN FOR A MOMENT NONETHELESS. SURE. WHY NOT. YOU CONCEDE. "WHATEVER. GO AHEAD." HE GETS THE BARTENDER TO BRING YOU BOTH A GLASS OF YOUR SWILL OF CHOICE. YOU'RE SURPRISED TO SEE HIM ORDER THE SAME THING AS YOU. FROM THE RINGS ON HIS FINGERS AND THE HUE OF HIS SIGN, YOU WOULD HAVE ASSUMED HE'D HAVE MORE EXPENSIVE TASTES. IS HE REALLY THAT INVESTED IN WINNING YOUR FAVOR? YOU WATCH, MORE INTERESTED THAN YOU WANT TO BE, AS HE RAISES THE GLASS TO HIS LIPS. HE CAN'T SUPPRESS HIS IMMEDIATE, REFLEXIVE GRIMACE WHEN THE LIQUID REACHES HIS TASTE SPONGE. "HAH!" OF COURSE HE'D HATE IT. YOU DON'T EVEN PARTICULARLY LIKE IT. YOU DO KIND OF ADMIRE HIM FOR TRYING, THOUGH. "youvve really been drinkin this crap all night?" YOU PREFER HIM SPEAKING FRANKLY LIKE THIS TO HIS INITIAL ATTEMPTS AT BEING PLEASANT. "ALL NIGHT IS A BIT OF A STRETCH. I'D HAD ALL OF TWO GLASSES BEFORE YOU BOUGHT THE THIRD." "and i dont knoww howw you persuaded your tract to keep evven that much dowwn" "BECAUSE I'M NOT A FUCKING PRISS." HE NARROWS HIS GAZE AT YOU FOR A MOMENT. HIS BULBS SEARCH YOU FOR SOMETHING. HE MIGHT BE DECIDING IF YOU'RE WORTH IT. THEN HIS STARE RELENTS, HIS POSTURE LOOSENS, AND HE SHRUGS. "it aint prissy its classy" "CLASS? IN A PLACE LIKE THIS?" "wwell wwe dont havve to stay in this sorta place ivve got a much nicer one not too far from here" HE NODS TOWARD THE DOOR. "theyre closin up here anywway its gonna be light sooner than later" HE'S RIGHT ABOUT THAT. WHILE YOU WERE SULKING AT THE BAR, SOMEONE SWEPT THROUGH AND STACKED ALL THE CHAIRS. YOU CAN FEEL THE BARTENDER'S BULBS BORING INTO THE BACK OF YOUR NUGBONE. "you dont seem eager to get back to your owwn hivve but i dont mind showwin you to mine" A BEAT OF SILENCE. "FUCK IT. SURE."