[o] [SE] longneck, ice cold beer never broke my heart

Iskra

BREATHE IT IN, IT'S JUST SNOW, WE'RE JUST FALLING
WE WON'T ALWAYS FREE FALL BACK TO NOTHING

Laughter would always be his undoing. It was the sound of happiness, of good memories being sealed, a reminder that there was more than just the hardships in life. Like a light cutting through the dark, it was a savior, and he cherished it. It had been a while, he realized grimly, since he had laughed so much and so freely. It was a wonder that you could lose yourself so thoroughly in the labyrinth of self, that the act of being lost was itself enough to shift the walls around and close off the exit. He could scarcely recognize his reflection these days—not the one in mirrors or lakes, rough as that one was to see too—but the one cast from others looking at him. The laughter had long been gone in his company, and he only seemed to notice its absence once it came bubbling back.

Her comment sent him back into a fit, hands forced over his mouth to keep from spraying his drink at her as he'd been hoping his sip would have quelled the cheer into something controlled. He reached for a napkin, ale dripping off his beard and pooling on the table as he fought for breath, her rising blush no help at all. As he wiped up his mess, the giggles subsided to breathy exhales and water in the corners of his eyes. He swiped at them with a finger as he shook his head, exhaling with a "hooooooooooh." Composed, he swirled his drink and met her gaze again, no longer afraid that doing so would send them both back over the edge.

"Well, that is honorable," he commended, his glass tilted towards her for a moment in recognition and applause before he resumed swirling it. "If a bit dull." he then admitted, a rueful smile softening the blow. "I do think hearing about martial problems would be rather tantalizing. Surely you could change some names, some details, and I'd be none the wiser." He lifted a 'brow with a final hope, but would not push on the object further. As fun as some spilled tea was, it did stain, and he wished not to ruin her clothes in such a manner. "Unfortunately, the woods are not very dramatic and interesting. Oh, sure, the woodpeckers are corrupt and the squirrels are embroiled in turf wars, but that's nothing new." He grinned.

I'M JUST STARTING TO LEARN
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN CHASING GHOSTS