<Val> ::The Esperanza is docked in the bay of some large trading island. The clock on the mantle piece in the captain's quarters is mere minutes away from striking midnight, but the ship appeared deserted for the longest time that evening. It was still deserted when Lord Li happened to board it, looking as if he weren't really wondering where everyone - or mainly the good captain - had gone to, when really, he was. He stood in the captain's quarters, looking at the clock on the mantlepiece. It wasn't until he decided to go on deck, a minute away from midnight, that he really became concerned with the fact that he might have missed some important event on shore...

But here was where he suddenly heard loud footsteps land and clumpingly dash forward from behind and felt heavy arms swing around his neck before he had time to spin and unsheathe his knife-weilding hands from his long sleeves. Val took a swig of the bottle he held in his hand before chuckling heartily into his ear::

Five minutes ago I fought twenty sailors on the shore with my bare hands for this. It's Chivas Regal. Happy New Year.

::still hanging off his friend, he held the bottle to him::

X3

<Li>
::flustered and full of adrenaline, Li twitched subtly for several moments, his teeth clenched behind his lips. he was even too wound-up to produce one of his infamous false smiles:: ....

I... ::and abruptly he regained control over himself and smiled cheerfully, though he still radiated tension:: You did no such thing, Captain. I happen to know quite well that you have had that bottle stashed under your bed since the last port. And, besides, ::he pauses, managing to make his hands stop reaching for the hidden knives up his sleeves and to make his shoulders relax:: ...It's not even the New Year yet. ::he said this very primly, perfectly aware what day it was by the Western calendar now that Val reminded him, but choosing to be difficult regardless in return for the scare. honestly, he should have expected something like this from Val::

... ::but he took the bottle from Val anyway and headed into the cabin to look for a wine glass or goblet::

<Val>
::He clung to Li with no intention of appearing as if he would relieve his friend of the extra weight around his neck in any small amount of time. He had also remained, as it were, cheerfully ignorant of every statement made by the black-haired merchant for the whole time he was speaking. When Li finished, he grinned.:: Yes it izh. ::he insisted, referring to the Western new year. And to the previous gibe, he crooned:: And no it isn't. See for yourself. Neheheh... ::the answer was honest, though Val made no move to change his encumbering position. That, Li would have to remedy himself.::

<Li>
::though he was slight, he was surprisingly strong. and he was also determined. >:' so he managed to half-drag Val with him into the cabin::

Maybe it is by your calendar, but I will celebrate when it's appropriate. ::he smiled, but he was still more than mildly irritated, so it was a very sharp and angry sort of smile. well... 'angry' was only in relation to how well you knew him. someone who didn't know him at all would find nothing angry about the smile at all. unnerving, perhaps, but not angry.::

::he stood quite still, tolerating Val's weight on his shoulders without indicating he noticed, while he thought - the smile still in place::

::finally, Li decided that Val would not remove himself, so he would have to remove Val. his actions provoked by irritation and his earlier fright, Li set the bottle of wine down on the nearby table before reaching up for Val's wrists:: As you like, then - I will! ::"I will check under the bed", he means::

::and with a hard grasp on both of Val's wrists and a twist of his body under and then against Val, Li attempts to throw Val over him. if his movement goes as planned, Val would be tossed onto the bed. which is probably not the best thing to do with someone who's obviously had more than a little to drink already, but it wouldn't have been the first time Val had been flung head-over-feet while drunk and there were surprisingly few 'accidents'::

::if his toss were successful, Li straightened his clothes, a more amused tilt to his lips. if he were unsuccessful in any way, Li would likely be incredibly put out XD::

<Val>
Oof @_@ ::Even though he should have seen it coming, he didn't bother to do anything about it (see also: booze) and thus was flung across the room to crash into a shelf adorned with various books, trinkets and miscellaneous objects, and consequently end up as a tangle of leather, buckles, fabric, arms and legs at the base of it, on the floor. Upside down. There was a second or two while he winced in some sort of pain, and his hands at least, since his feet were not really grounded, made sure that he still had a sense of direction by grasping at the floor. Once up and down were properly established, he made a face of some satisfaction. His head however was still in a painful position before he attempted to shuffle into a more flattering one.:: Ow....

<Li>
::though he felt a slight twinge of guilt at having overdone his throw, all-in-all he rather felt that Val deserved it and this was probably 'nicer' of him than anything else he would have done in retaliation. so he smiled and rearranged his clothing::

::when his clothing was adjusted to his satisfaction he crouched beside the bed to peer under it to see if the bottle of wine he remembered was under there or not, utterly ignoring Val::

<Val>
I'm not sure I deserved that, :\ I did fight 20 sailors for it, to give to you tonight. ::he whined, politely, as he rubbed the back of his head, having gotten back to his feet. He didn't do much to straighten himself further, save for perhaps a small tug here and there as he walked, but he made his way, ambling quietly, to where Li stood. And quietly, unobtrusively, to make sure he did not break a smidgen of Li's concentration, he stood behind him, bending over until his face was close to Li's ear. He was remarkably stealthy for someone who was apparently drunk. He waited until the silence was definitely one of intense concentration as Li searched the dark underside of the bed.:: What are you doing?? :D ::he questioned, clearly, suddenly, directly beside Li's ear.::

<Li>
::distracted enough (you never knew what was underneath Val's bed. Between the two of them, they could have wedged any number of dangerous things underneath the heavy piece of furniture while tipsy, drunk, smashed... to hide from port authorities or other pirates, or just because it was Tuesday... So it was always best to approach a search under the bed with the utmost care and concentration) not to notice that Val had spoken in answer to his thoughts, Li replied:: I assure you, you did. :)

::he smiled without actually looking towards Val. and he certainly didn't hear the captain approaching him so stealthily. instead, he cleared debris and plunder from his way as he went in search of the bottle. he was certain it wasn't too deeply underneath the bed. certainly it had been there the last time they had made port. there were only two raids of less organized pirate ships between then and now, so there shouldn't be too much in the way -

--without his noticing that it was, his head was actually underneath the frame of the bed when Val leaned close and spoke. Li flinched automatically, pulling back so he could have easier access to his knives (he did, of course, know exactly who had spoken and since that was twice in the same night, he was going to at least break the skin this time) --- except that before he could do more than pull back and reach, he clocked himself on the head hard enough to make him fall back down on his forearms to the wooden plank floor with a soft grunt. he grimaced, less from pain than from irritation and incredible embarrassment::

<Val>
::He should have laughed, probably. That would have been what any good 2-bit half sloshed rambunctious pirate goon would have done, having witnessed his shipmate embarrass himself on his knees, especially when that member made it a point that his cool demeanour was something of a quality of his defined personality. But Val didn't, he simply gave a personal chortle that had nothing to do with Li and everything to do with what he was about to do next - sauntering around to the other side of the bed and crouching, placing one hand on the mattress and the other reaching blindly under the frame. He made a rather animated face of concentration as he groped around in the darkness, but soon after, he stood, producing a bottle identical to the one he gave Li only moments before.:: Chivas Regal, ::he read aloud, pausing briefly to grin across at Li in an almost commercial type of way.:: The world's most famous whiskey. ::Still grinning a little, he tossed the new bottle over to Li, to compare for himself:: Aged 18 years. Almost as old as you!! XD ::"This is a joke, clearly. haha. We all know Li, you are waaaaayy older than that. X3 <3333"::

<Li>
::he sat up, actually pouting a little as he tenderly rubbed the back of his head. that was undignified as well as uncomfortable. :c ::

::he didn't react to Val's chortle. he knew him well enough by now to know it didn't relate to him. but he also make certain to sit up properly and be ready for whatever Val might throw at him next. he was only mildly surprised when the "throw" part became literal and ignored Val's "sales pitch" in order to catch the bottle::

-_-; Yes, yes. Very funny, Captain. ::he said this very formally as he got to his feet and brought the second bottle to set it on the table next to the first. he glanced over his shoulder at Val now, frowning with thought rather than pain or annoyance::

Twenty sailors? ::as if this part of the conversation was only just then mentioned. he looked Val over for evidence of this fight - particularly injuries:: Why on earth did you have to do that? ::he took down two glasses from the cabinet near the table and set them down on the table, pouring them both a generous portion. though Val more than for himself::

<Val>
::he flopped into a chair:: Well you see, it was only three sailors at South Cape Port, and there was a rumour that there were only two bottles of this famed drink in the whole south continent! Which is where we are right now, by the way. How do you find the weather? ::he chattered on happily:: Apparently not two weeks ago that renowned FLEET of pirates, you know, the one organised by captain.. Bu-h... Captain... Somebody. went around the whole damn place and pilfered every single one of these bottles of whiskey for themselves - well! They were blown up by the government off the shore of Newhaven. Not that the fleet would have lasted anyway - it's not like they're bound by loyalty or anything. Anyway all that loot... went with them ;_; All except two bottles that fell into the unworthy clutches of Father Paul and his band of sea-faring bible-thumping godbotherers. So I decided to take it for myself. I got the first bottle easily - using a bit of cleverness here and heresy there... ::he grinned, inclining his head towards the crystal ball and scarf on the shelf he almost tipped over:: -when you were off doing business with that snivelling food merchant, :P and we followed them here. >:B But I guess they got smarter and recruited the rest of their crew up to fight me when I tried to snag the second bottle. ::Val leaned back in his chair propping his boots up on the table infront of him, dislodging a candle in its holder on the tabletop.:: Besides, it's not a gift worthy of giving if you didn't have to fight an win an outrageously unfair battle to get it. ;D And I didn't get you a christmas present. ;'

<Li>
::he listened to the babbling from Val with only half an ear at first. he took a seat and adopted as completely neutral an expression as possible::

::as he listened, he remarked quietly at each part Val seemed unclear on that he thought he knew the answer to. though it was quite likely that Val wasn't paying attention at all::

::to the question about the weather -:: Warm. :)

::to the comment about Captain... Somebody, he supplied:: Captain Bloody Bill.

::as he listened, he tried to decipher whether or not Val was making up the entire story or not. the longer it went on, the less certain Li became that Val was spinning tall tales or not. he glanced obediently at the crystal ball and scarf (that did sound like something Val would do)::

::when Val swung his feet up on the table, Li frowned and almost said something about 'boots off the eating table' and his hand quickly reached out to snuff the candle before it singed the tabletop. but his words died on his lips the moment the wick sizzled out between his fingers. because that's when Val had spoken::

... Oh. ::he said, looking a bit stunned and then... guilty. he blushed. perhaps he would have examined the story more closely if not for that closing comment::

You didn't have to go through all that trouble for me... ::he felt incredibly rude and ungrateful now, and it only served to fluster him further. he paused, turning even redder for a moment. he warred with Western and Eastern etiquette for a few heartbeats, trying to figure out which one would cause the least confusion::

::and then he bowed low, offering a very proper salute:: Thank you, Captain. I am honored. ::he straightened and as gracefully as possible while still looking mortified beyond words, picked up the more filled of the two glasses and, half turned away from Val, added a small pinch of something from a small pouch he had in his sleeve (for emergencies)::

...I would be more honored if you shared this with me, however. ::he turned and offered the glass, his composure returning slowly. it was perfectly believable that Val had noticed this movement. and just as reasonable that he'd known what was added::

<Val>
::He smiled, not entirely sharply, but aware enough to notice what Li did. However, Val was already cheerful over the fact that he had managed to gain the winning hand over Li in their little argumentative escapade, so he simply continued to smile at the fact that Li was sharing something of his with him. Rightly so!::

It would dishearten me greatly if you weren't. ::he replied, in an equally regal tone, though his own held a hint of mirth to it that refused to go away. He was not bothered by the odd phrasing of his sentence either, though there was a brief second where he regarded what he'd just said with some belated self-aware confusion. But that was quickly dismissed.:: :333

<Li>
::noticing that Val had noticed, combined with Val's slightly drunken reply and the mixture of conflicting emotions that ran over his face... Li cracked a smile. one of his rare true smiles. (well, they were less than 'rare' when he was with Val in private, but overall, they were rare still, weren't they?)::

It would dishearten you greatly if I were not honored? :) ::he asked this as if confirming that he had heard it properly. seeing that Val was somewhat laughing at this as well somehow made it even funnier to Li, though he straight-away tried to correct his expression to blandness::

::he waited until Val took the offered glass:: :)

<Val>
::Briefly made the face of a man made to think after he's had far too much alcohol to be accustomed to thinking.:: Yes. ::he said, eventually,:: If you were not honoured to be sharing this fine whiskey with me, I would be greatly disheartened. Because my company alone compels no less than the highest honour ever received. To be sure. ;3 ::he takes the glass and lifts it:: Ooh, thats a pretty glass. Where did I get that from?

<Li>
::he almost laughed. certainly his dark eyes crinkled at the corners and his lips twitched::

Mmmm... ::it was a thoughtful noise. he turned slightly and picked up his own glass before taking a seat and looking more properly at the glass::

Wasn't this from when you wooed that young lady? The one who was meant to be a baroness, but (sadly), her reputation for purity was less than it would appear? These were supposed to be used at the wedding banquet. ::he paused slightly:: The Baron gave them to you.

::smiling in a perfectly neutral way, he tilted his head a little to watch Val. he refrained from drinking the whiskey until Val did::

<Val>
Really??

::Then he decided he had no quarrel with that fact.:: Rightly so. ::Val leaned back again with his glass and brought it to his lips:: I did reveal her infront of that whole double family dinner before the wedding. Even got her arrested for high treason because her father was a politician running for the cabinet and I discovered she was conspiring against them with the rival party! Hahaha.. ohhh she hates me now. ::He took a gulp of the liquid:: What was I even doing at that dinner.... o_o

<Li>
::he frowned faintly, his eyebrows drawing together as he thought:: ...I don't recall all of that - ::meaning the conspiracy and the cabinet and the arrest:: - but, yes, she does hate you. :)

::he took a sip of his own whiskey and savored it. after all, it was only one of two bottles in the world. and Val had gone through a lot of trouble to obtain it for him. so he had to taste it with respect and deliberation. he smiled and only then did he add a pinch of his powder. while it dissolved, he responded::

As to what you were doing there in the first place... ::he looked up and smiled:: :) I believe you were ::a slight pause, pursing his lips on either a smile or a disgusted look - it would be difficult to say because even his tone didn't indicate which:: ...attempting to discover if the Baron really did have a particular treasure map.

<Val>
::Jumped up, pointing a finger in rejoinder at the merchant across the table from him, in ecstatic joy:: And he didn't!!!! ::though the joy shouldn't really have gone with the content of his answer. But that didnt really matter with the state Val was in anyway. He didn't remember being the least bit fazed at the fact that the baron *hadn't* the map he'd been after. Well... maybe he was the least bit. At the time. Now, he sat back down happily:: No amount of fancy clothes and jewels and high hair-do's could cover the fact that she was a filthy wench and he knew it. ::he decided this was the appropriate time to take another drink.::

<Li>
::another crinkled smile around the eyes and a small one on his lips. it was a somewhat endeared smile::

She was and he did know, but didn't have enough proof to back out of the wedding without their being a scandal directed against him. Possibly followed by a lawsuit on behalf of the 'bride's' family...

::he paused and took another sip of the drink and then set it down on the table, his hands gently securing it there in case of a sudden rock of the ship:: ...You never told me at the time... ::his eyes became a bit more shrewed:: But perhaps you'll tell me now. ::"because you're drunk"::

Did you involve yourself in all that ::he removed his fingers now to wave them slightly to indicate "the scandal":: out of the goodness in your wine-soaked heart, or did the Baron ask you to do so? ::both halves of his question were laden with gentle sarcasm and his lips were twisted up in a more pointed display of the same. his dark eyes glittered with playfully-malicious humor::

<Val>
:;he scoffed, though he was unoffended.:: Of course it was my duty, as a former righteous sailor under her majesty the queen, bless her soul, to wring out the evildoers to the best of my ability. ::He put on a very sincere face, despite being completely drunk... then opened one eye to Li, accompanying it a very very slight innocent smile at one corner of the lips, and in the eyebrows:: ...And he asked me. Very nicely. n_n

<Li>
::he responded to the last bit - particularly the little innocent smile - with a smile of his own. one the bloomed quite suddenly on his face. there was no mockery or sarcasm in that smile. he was simply honestly amused and found Val's tipsy play at For Queen And Country.... well... adorable.::

I'm sure he did. ::he said this warmly, his eyes sparkling a little with this warmth. and he picked up his glass again, toasted Val with only playful mockery, and drank a rather large sip::

<Val>
::also enjoying his drink, much more than he thought he would... or was that much more than he would have otherwise thought he would if he hadn't known that Li had tampered with it that just little bit - but then again this was Val, and he knew everything. Always. So he wasn't fazed. Where was I? The conversation seemed to have reached it's end. Now Val gave a small laugh that could have otherwise been considered a slightly blurry giggle.::

Mhmhmm. Li......? ::he leaned forward a little and grinned dazedly at his friend, speaking (or more, voicing in a manner that leaned more towards a happy mumble, only more enunciated) in a tone that seemed to initiate a change of subject - the suggestive statement of another matter of importance.::

<Li>
::Li looked over at his friend and set the glass back down. his expression was still warm and pleasant, but wasn't quite as openly affectionate as the moments before. some of his natural caution had started to seep back in. but he smiled again at the not-quite-giggle::

::at the question he raised his eyebrows a bit, still smiling. he leaned forward slightly:: Yes, Val? ::politely curious::

<Val>
::he sat there, grinning for a good portion of the moment, before continuing his speech. Val seemed to idle, letting the edge of his glass roll against the tabletop beneath his fingers, toying with the liquid still inside, carelessly. Eventually he looked up to meet his friend in the eye:: .......... We missed the fireworks outside. :3