boys' night out

I'm bringin' sexy back
Them other fuckers don't know how to act

"All I'm saying is, if they wanted people to like it, they should have made it likeable."

They've been going around on the topic for half an hour, the whole way back from the art show. It was Mateo's idea: boy's night out at an exhibition, admiring the art of the botanist's friend. Only the art had been just so, so weird, all flat colors and hard lines and people with altogether incorrect body proportions, and Koa had grown quickly and thoroughly bored.

Nothing a smuggled flask of gin couldn't solve, which is how we've reached our current state.

"I mean, it doesn't even make sense. Like, why is it called cubism if there isn't a single cube?" He throws up his hands in exasperation, turning haplessly to Everest on his right. "You get it, right, Ever?" the Dragoon pleads, eyebrows raised to signal the desire he help a brother out. "Or, y'know. Don't get it. Get not getting it. Right?" Smiling genially at his friend, he offers the shared, half-empty flask.

Koa Carpenter

If that's your girl, better watch your back
'Cause she'll burn it up for me, and that's a fact

Mateo

Should'a seen what I wore
I had a cane and a party hat

"When you say people, I am sure you are only referring to yourself. I found it quite inspired," Mateo is informing his neanderthal friend, not for the first time since they had entered the exhibition. Having brought his own refreshments, the botanist is also very merry (and a little high), and honestly he can kind of see Koa's point, but he'd mainly invited them both along so he could get to know the ravishing young painter. And if the exhibition had gotten him into the artist's good books (and perhaps his bed at some point), so be it and the not-cubism.

"I do not think there need to be actual cubes," he continues regardless. "Just geometric shapes. Which there were. Several of them." Haughtily spoken, he considers the discussion at an end since they are now back on the street, pausing so he can take a pull from his own flask. He does glance at Ever as well though, fully expecting his oldest, bestest friend to be on his side here.

I was the king of this hologram
where there's no such thing as getting out of hand

I think I can manage being collateral damage

"I liked it." Ever comments, his tone carefully neutral as he glances between his only two friends. Having periodically accepted "sips" from Koa's smuggled flask if only to monitor the change in its weight to keep track of how much the dragoon and botanist have consumed, the aviator's mind is unencumbered by the haze of alcohol if not weighed down by talk of shapes and colours.

Nodding the affirmative as Mateo mentions shapes rather than simply cubes, he hazards a glance toward Koa and offers the dragoon a conciliatory shrug, having been on the receiving end of Mateo's art history lectures often enough to know when it's best to simply agree. "Perhaps the artists were making a statement by specifically not adding cubes." He suggests before taking a deep breath of air blissfully free of the scent of paint and perfume.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Ever glances between Mateo and Koa, assuming that their night wasn't over quite yet. Having heard from the botanist about his run-in with the dragoon, despite having never gone through a breakup himself, Ever nevertheless understood that talk of happy relationships (and therefore Isla) was off the table. Probably Torchline too, and anything tangentially related to Flora, which left the aviator a touch tongue-tied in trying to think up a suitable topic of conversation.

.

I'm bringin' sexy back
Them other fuckers don't know how to act

Koa wearily shakes his head, profoundly disappointed by the wrongness of his friends. "What kind of statement is that supposed to be?" Raising his hand to his chin, he affects a drawl and a pursed-lip smolder not unlike that of the offending artist. "'What if people were all just squares, and squares were all random shapes because I failed basic geometry'?"

Chuckling at his own impression, Koa relaxes his face to a grin. "Sorry, Teo - maybe one of these days you'll manage to civilize me," the young Dragoon promises, throwing an arm around the botanist's shoulder. "But you know what kinda art I can appreciate? Stars. Lookit that sky, man." He gestures broadly upward, to the cloudless sky which hosts a myriad of celestial lights.

Looking over at Everest, the boy raises his brows. "Whaddya say we head to the top of the Spyglass and make up constellations? I don't think we've done that since we were, like, kids." Simpler times, when their parents had all worked for the Order and the boys had been left to run largely amok.

Koa Carpenter

If that's your girl, better watch your back
'Cause she'll burn it up for me, and that's a fact

Mateo

Should'a seen what I wore
I had a cane and a party hat

"See? Ever liked it," Mateo protests despite Koa digging his heels in on his opinion, as if the dragoon has been outvoted and must therefore change his mind entirely. "And I am pretty sure you did fail basic geometry. Though it has been some time since we were in school, so I suppose I could be mistaken." Luckily for Everest, Mateo can hold a riveting conversation with a brick wall, so his friend's tied-up tongue doesn't pose much of a problem when it comes to chit-chat between the trio.

Giving Koa a shove for his impression out of principle, the botanist is soon drawn back against his friend's side, tipping his head back to admire the stars as well. "Stars," he begins, his tone cheeky and smiling, "are also made of geometric shapes."

He doesn't object to the Spyglass though, glancing to the man whose title shares the same name and raising his eyebrows as if to ask if he's happy to join in as well.

I was the king of this hologram
where there's no such thing as getting out of hand

I think I can manage being collateral damage

Opening his mouth to reply, Ever's mind was filled with nothing but shapes that he didn't entirely understand, such that it was with an apologetic wince that he shrugged in response to Koa's question. Luckily for the aviator he was with perhaps the two most talkative individuals that he'd ever known, such that his silence seemed not to put an appreciable damper on things. It was one of the reasons he'd agreed to this outing in the first place, friendship and obligatory socializations aside.

Raising his gaze toward the stars as well, Ever found himself smiling softly as his thoughts drifted almost immediately to Isla. It wasn't hard for his mind to find excuses to think of the Remedy, but one couldn't help thinking of the one they loved when staring at such a wonderfully starry evening. "Is it still open, do you think?" For all the wonders Dahlia's kiss had done him, Everest was still inclined to (mostly) follow rules, especially while in Stormbreak.

.

I'm bringin' sexy back
Them other fuckers don't know how to act

Ok, this is getting out of hands. Stars as geometric shapes? Koa squints at his friend, shoving his shoulder playfully. "What?! They're obviously made of light, and light doesn't have shapes Quit fucking with me, man!" Again he looks to Everest for help, though the Aviator seems to be entirely preoccupied by his own thoughts.

The question that is posed has his eyebrows rising, mild incredulity on the Dragoon's face. "I'm pretty sure it's open all night, 'cus'a the telescope and everything. But also don't you have, like, forever access there? Being the Spyglass?" Koa'd assumed that sharing a title with the building allowed Everest some degree of advanced access, even when the doors closed for the night.

If it doesn't, though... flashing a mischievous smile, Koa clasps his hands behind his back and lets his shoulders shrug. "Otherwise, well, havin' a ranking officer of the Dragoons as a friend does have its perks. I can get into basically any building in Stormbreak," he informs the other boys with no small amount of pride. And, yes, usually a badge and uniform are involved, but Koa is stubborn, charming, and buzzed. He's more than confident he can find a way.

Koa Carpenter

If that's your girl, better watch your back
'Cause she'll burn it up for me, and that's a fact

Mateo

Should'a seen what I wore
I had a cane and a party hat

"If light does not have a shape, then how does it shine in beams? How is the sun a circular disc?" Mateo wants to know, though at this point the mischief in his expression suggests that he is much more interested in continuing to fuck with his friend than he is at being right about any of this. Whatever - however good or bad the art exhibition had been, the point is that the botanist now stands a much better chance at sleeping with its artist than before. So, you know, a win is a win.

As for the Spyglass, he itches thoughtfully at the stubble on his chin and lifts his flask to take another pull from it, smirking and side-eyeing Koa at the pride that puffs from his chest. "It is usually closed to the public at night, but the scholars are still there," he says with the air of someone who has snuck into the observatory before (which he has). "I usually just tell them who my fathers are and they open the doors for me."

Hooray, nepotism!

I was the king of this hologram
where there's no such thing as getting out of hand

I think I can manage being collateral damage

"It shines in beams when it's blocked by something." Everest interjects before the question of how the sun was a disc immediately had his brows pinching inward, tying his tongue once more. Were there forces between Caido and the sun that made it that shape? Some celestial barricade made by Safrin to make it appear as a circle? Conveniently the Spyglass was precisely the sort of place which might hold the answers he was currently pondering, not that the aviator was keen on using nepotism, intimidation, or whatever sway he held in virtue of his position in order to enter.

"I would never." Ever mumbles under his breath, though it seems that they're going to go one way or another, and the aviator would much rather be there to (soberly) explain their presence than to leave his friends to their potential breaking-and-entering on their own.

As they stroll a small cluster of void messengers (if there's a group noun for the avians, Everest doesn't know it), fly overhead. As with all void creatures, neither the sight nor sense of foreboding that the creatures bring effects him at all, and it's with nothing more that a small smile that he regards them before paying attention to the ongoing banter between his friends.

.

I'm bringin' sexy back
Them other fuckers don't know how to act

Too drunk and dumb tired for this conversation, Koa lets the discussion of shapes and light fall away. He's far more interested in the Spyglass, which looms in the distance like a glinting star. That it's closed at night somewhat surprises the Dragoon; he'd never had an issue getting in, but then again, he'd always had a badge to flash. As had Mateo, it would seem, though Koa grimaces at the mention of his friend's fathers, immediately shaking his head. He's misunderstood and assumes that Mateo is planning to channel, which, no thank you. 

"I think your dads hate me cus'a Flora," the Dragoon laments miserably. Maybe his sense of foreboding and fear is heightened by the void messengers overhead, their dark wings beating ominously in the quiet night. "Which sucks, cus I really wanted Ronin to be, like, my mentor. And now he's probably going to yeet me right into the sun."

Glancing again at Everest, Koa deepens his frown. If he notices the way his friend seems unperturbed by the flock of birds he doesn't say anything, but you can bet your left kidney he's very aware of the purple elephant they're not addressing, and maybe even formulating a plan.

Koa Carpenter

If that's your girl, better watch your back
'Cause she'll burn it up for me, and that's a fact

Mateo

Should'a seen what I wore
I had a cane and a party hat

Silence and a lack of objection from Everest is all Mateo needs to decide that he's right and that the discussion doesn't need to continue beyond here, the botanist seeming very smug and proud of himself as they continue toward the Spyglass. "We know you wouldn't, Ever. I would not ask you to do that." He winks at his friend; besides, as the aviator has already well established, between he and Koa they have all the means in the world of talking their way into the observatory.

"Do you think?" He raises his eyebrows towards the dragoon, silenced for a moment by the void messengers that fly overhead on sinister, dark wings; the botanist hunches his shoulders a bit and wrinkles his nose, keen for them to depart. "I went for dinner with them a little while ago. I think they hate Flora's new beau more than they could ever hate you, so... maybe not all is lost. I... would not try to have that conversation until next season, though."

I was the king of this hologram
where there's no such thing as getting out of hand

I think I can manage being collateral damage

Humming gratefully to Mateo, Everest even manages to wink in return even if the gesture is a touch delayed. Unlike his counterparts, the aviator glances up at the sound of dark wings, smiling rather fondly at the birds as they streak like lofty shadows, their bodies briefly blotting out the stars.

Having absolutely nothing to contribute to the subject of Ronin and Koa's relationship in light of what had happened with Flora (or not happened, he supposed), Everest simply pushes his hands deeper into his pockets, fingers scrounging around for lint or coins or something that would offer some tactile feedback. "Leafchange is the only time Ronin has ever yelled at me." The aviator confirms, eyebrows raised as he glances over at Koa. Considering Ever had once asked if he could watch Remi and Ronin have sex for purely educational purposes, the fact that the Knight had only let his temper get the best of him when it came to the aviator during Leafchange spoke volumes about his patience.

Maybe it even meant he wouldn't be upset at Koa forever, too.

.

I'm bringin' sexy back
Them other fuckers don't know how to act

Welcome to the hole you've dug yourself, Koa. The mention of Flora's new beau has our poor Dragoon immediately on-edge, his jaw tightening as a flush of anger and heartache rips hot across his face. He's tried very hard not to learn too much about this Jack, but Mateo's comment has left that door too open to ignore. "What was that like? What's he--? No, fuck, nope, don't tell me. Doesn't matter. She made her choice, and I don't care." A lie made all the less convincing by the way he's clenched his fists and looked away, but Koa can't help it.

He's thinking about family dinner with Flora and the Taliesins.

He's thinking, It should have been me.

That's a bad thought, though, and has no business here. Koa waves his arm dismissively, as though his breakup was a bad smell he were trying to disperse. "None of my shitty love life tonight - this is a boy's night! Though speaking of love lives-" Turning a fierce, almost desperate grin to Everest, Koa raises his brows. "How're things goin' with your lady, 'Ver?"

Koa Carpenter

If that's your girl, better watch your back
'Cause she'll burn it up for me, and that's a fact

champagne, cocaine, gasoline; and most things in between

Opening his mouth and then promptly closing it again - because he'd absolutely been about to tell Koa everything he knows about Flora's new squeeze, and what does his friend expect - Mateo ends up having to swallow his words and bite the inside of his cheek. Reaching out to sling his arm around the suddenly ailing Dragoon (any part of him he can reach, you know, given that he's pocket-sized compared to Koa and Ever), Mateo gives him an encouraging squeeze. "That is the spirit!" he chirps, before the attention suddenly swivels to Ever.

Even with the change in the aviator's confidence, Mateo doesn't get the impression that Everest would ever want to be the centre of attention, but then again this is to discuss Isla, and he's seen him light up from the inside about her enough times to let it slide. "I am still very proud of you for having a lady," he says - one that could absolutely hold her own against all of them, truth be told.