Afterparty

[latinumsbetter]

[The earth once more closes up and all of that disappears, Quark remains on the ground for a long moment, holding Cerejeira. Finally, he raises his voice, still keeping her tucked against him. His tone is all business, brooking no argument.]

Bar'll open in ten minutes. Go get washed up, and then be there.

[He turns his head to look at Astarion, eyes narrowing.]

You. After those ten minutes, you're going to explain to everyone what you did. And then you're going to get out of my bar. Got it?

[and, not waiting for a reply, he's turning his attention to Cerejeira and Leb. He frowns, for a moment, because he knows he can't carry either of them, and normally he might have asked Fe Lu Om Ranma or Vanity but, well.]

...someone who can carry people help me with Leb and Jeira.

[So......the bar downstairs is once again open. Quark is not behind the bar. Instead, he's pushed some tables together and put some bottles of wine on the table. He's replicated some bar snacks and they're there too. There's something replicated for Riful also, in a separate bowl, which he'll give to her personally.

Fritz sitting near the entrance to the back counter where he's working and Critwo is in a nest of blankets in a corner just behind the counter. There’s been several of the extra togas gathered and folded to be used as blankets.

Leb is still asleep on one of the couches with one of the spare togas tucked around her as a blanket. Cerejeira is seated next to her, also with a spare toga tucked around her.

Once everyone is down there, Quark pushes to his feet and clears his throat.

Once the situation has been made clear, then the rest of the evening can proceed as usual for their afterparties.

Those four drinks that Quark usually makes (Athena, Alex, Misane, Aglaea) are once again sitting at the far edge of the counter. There are no new additions.]

Comments

cw: medical in particular

[latinumsbetter]

[...she didn't want to die. That makes sense. Who does and who would? And yet, even when it was looking bleak, she still wouldn't let herself play into Typhon's hands.

Immediately, there's a sweeping relief in him--this is what he'd wanted to ensure, all those weeks ago--and though that might not be the reason behind her choice, he still can't help the feeling of fierce pride that follows, that she not only didn't give in, but actively worked to prevent herself from going down that road.

Quark sucks in a slow breath.]

...Vanity?

cw: back on that self-sacrificing suicide bullshit

[sweetsynergy]

[She didn't want to. But wouldn't it be worth it, part of her kept whispering. If it was going to happen sooner or later anyway, wouldn't it be better to make it count for something. Some kind of victory for once, here, when she'd been so useless in battle, where she was supposed to shine. Letting the rest of them go on, all these people who for some reason gave a shit-]

[She blinks, eyes wet, looking up at Quark.]

What.

cw: back on that self-sacrificing suicide bullshit

[latinumsbetter]

C'mere.

[And he's stepping forward and, if she'll let him, tugging her in to hug her]

[sweetsynergy]

[She freezes up a little, but. Doesn't actually resist, too confused, as Quark pulls her in.]

What- what are you-

[latinumsbetter]

[In for a slip of latinum, in for a bar--]

I'm proud of you.

[sweetsynergy]

...Quark WHAT THE FUCK-

[But on instinct she didn't know she had, she's returning the hug as a rough, ragged sob escapes her, eyes squeezing shut against the literal flood of emotion.]

[latinumsbetter]

[he nearly winces at that volume, but Vanity's hugging him the next moment with a sob that kinda breaks his heart a little so he's just going to hold her tighter]

If anything like this happens again--hopefully it won't, but if it does, and you're running low like that, you tell me, alright?

[sweetsynergy]

[It takes her a second to get coherent again, catching her breath through another sob.]

What, you think you'd be able to do something?

[latinumsbetter]

If I'm not, then someone here can. We'll shift rations around or something like that. We'll make it work.

[he has not let her go yet, or even loosened his grip]

Other than that, everything you did was the right choice, Vanity.

[sweetsynergy]

You're kind of an idiot sometimes, you know.

[She pulls back a little, scrubbing at the eyes with a pajama sleeve, trying to look like she didn't just cry out years of emotions in under a minute.]

Guess I'm not better. But fine. I will.

[latinumsbetter]

[Quark huffs a bit at that, reaching into his jacket to offer her one of the squares of cloth that he keeps in there]

At least I'm in good company, then.

Not that we'll ever have that food shortage problem once we're on the station, but the point stands.

[sweetsynergy]

[OFFERING A HANDKERCHIEF WITHOUT EVEN CHARGING, WHAT ARE THEY COMING TO-]

[Yeah, she'll wipe her eyes, taking a breath.]

You're still serious about that, huh.