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[Nanami Uokawa]

This was it, the day when he'd bring Tiger's Eye back. Everything was perfect, from make-up, to hair, to the black dress he picked for the occasion. Fortunately Nehelenia wasn't all that all-knowing as she claimed to be. The fact that he was still alive and unscathed was the ultimate proof towards that. Had she known that he had let Tiger's Eye escape him, probably Chaos would have looked like an innocent puppy compared to her. Confidently, he made his way back to the Butler's Cafe in which he had met Yuki yesterday. His hand squeezed the door knob but he stopped before pushing it. No, he couldn't do it. He couldn't just attack Yuki in the middle of the cafe and, after seeing last night, the other man would likely cause a scene before he had a chance to convince him to follow him out. Sighing, he pulled himself away and walked towards a retreated alley, where he teleported back to the base.

Minutes later the portal was open again and Nanami jumped out, dressed - for once - in men's clothing. No more make-up adorned his face and his copper locks were shaggy. He didn't really feel like seducing one anyone tonight, he just felt like drinking and forgetting what a monumental failure he was for not having the guts to face Yuki and get Tiger's Eye back. His feet carried him on the city streets aimlessly until he finally took notice of a bar he was walking by. Just the place he needed. He made his way in and took a seat at the counter. It seemed like a nice place, specially with the piano music playing. Different then the other places that just settled for more modern music players. Nanami ordered a martini, he needed something stronger than the usual things he'd drink on his nights out. As soon as the bartender brought him the glass, he emptied it in a sip before repeating the order. He had money enough and all the time in the world to make himself forget about Tiger's Eye and Yuki.

[Zoisite Grey]

Zoisite allowed his fingers to begin a familiar dance across the keys as he fell into the equally familiar rhythm of the song he was playing. He liked the way each night playing seemed to become more and more natural for him. As the notes began to wind down, he glanced around the bar: it wasn't as though he didn't know the tune by heart or anything. He couldn't see the clock from here, he never could and didn't know why he had bothered to check. Instead he spared a glance at his wrist to see what time it actually was. He was greeted with the knowledge that his shift was over.

It was both a relief and a let down. He still wasn't finding out anything of any real use at this job. He would never admit that to anyone though. The last thing he needed was for Chaos to decide that he wasn't being productive in his guise. He sighed and pulled the key cover down to signify he was done for the evening. He slid his tips into this pocket and hopped down off the dais. He stopped before heading towards the exit. Perhaps he could have a drink tonight. It couldn't hurt to just have one. . .and it was nice to get a few free ones every now and then.

He leaned against the bar and motioned to the bartender. A bottle of sakke was placed before him as well as a glass. He smiled slyly and thanked the man as he poured himself a glass of the chilled liquid. Taking a sip, he noticed a man next to him out of the corner of his eye. He looked marginally familiar. . .As he thought about it he realized he knew the man. He was one of those newly awakened animal people that the other dark queen had called upon. he was surprised to see him actually dressed as a man for once. He'd come to believe this particular boy liked to dress like a girl. He shook his head as he watched him chug down another martini. "You look miserable," he said bluntly. "Something wrong?"

[Nanami Uokawa]

There was nothing better when you felt miserable than drowning your sorrow in a bit of alcohol, or so Fisheye thought. Sure, up until this moment he hadn't actually gotten to the point in which he'd get completely drunk and lose all dignity but there was always a first time for such things and he felt that it was the perfect night for that first time. He really felt miserable and he really looked like it too. His shoulders were slouched as he leaned with his elbows on the bar, his whole expression have something akin to a poor beaten up puppy. Even his clothes were a clear indication that something was wrong. It was the first time he was actually going out in the city wearing “normal” clothes since Nehelenia brought him back. It wasn't like he was going to pick someone up with his mood, nor was he interested in catching the eye of an unsuspecting man, for a change. He just wanted to be another one in the crowd and pass completely unobserved as he wallowed into self pitty.

Fisheye knew that he was completely ridiculous, he was admitting that to himself. How many times before had he made a scene and had a drink because some nice guy freaked out upon finding out that he was a man? Well, it happened with just about every nice guy he had ever tried to seduce. The biggest scene so far had been when Mamo-chan – or Endymion as he apparently called himself now – had rejected him for that silly frilly girl Usagi – who for some reason beyond his understanding was now Queen over an entire planet. Yes, he had thought he was serious about Mamoru and he did actually suffer when he was turned down but now that seemed like nothing compared to what he was feeling over Tiger's Eye. Why did hate have to be so cruel anyway? They had been together for a long time before they had met their demise and never had he actually thought of the blond as more than just a friend. He was just content with knowing him there, with having him around teasing him and that was just about all. But when he was brought back all alone, Fisheye felt like part of him was missing. Sure, he missed Hawk's Eye too, he truly did, but it was just that without Tiger's Eye there, it was as if he wasn't complete.

Meeting Yuki – Tiger's Eye reincarnation – had fueled up his hopes that things would be fine. That's until he realized that even if the man came back, things would return to the way they had been: they would be friends. And Fisheye didn't want to be just his friend, but, things couldn't go the way he wanted them to, because, in the end, Tiger's Eye would only ever be interested in beautiful young women – not in a silly cross-dressing man – or fish. Fisheye drowned his train of thoughts into the contents of the second glass and gestured at the bartender to bring him another one. He hadn't really paid too much attention to the people surrounding him, so when he heard someone address him, he blinked before turning his head to see to whom the voice belonged to. ”Ah, Zo... Zach...”, he exclaimed with little enthusiasm as he recognized the disguised form of one of those... oh, what were they called again? Ah, shitennou. Such a pompous name, the Amazon Trio sounded so much better.

On any given day he would have died of embarassment if Zoisite saw him and he didn't look in top shape, but now he didn't really care. The man was undeniably hot, both in his normal form and in his disguise. Fisheye would have lied to say that he wasn't a bit jealous on him. Even without trying too much, Zoisite simply looked like the type of guy any man would die to have around – he had heard rumors about his preferences. It was a bit unfair, seeing how much Fisheye tried and just ended up with rejection after rejection. Zoisite's comment about his look simply made him sigh and chuckle sarcastically at himself. ”Thank you, Zo... Zach. You look dashing, as always.” A bitter smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he answered his question: ”Everything and nothing. Just celebrating my most monumental failure, that's all”. His hand raised the glass slightly in Zoisite's direction before bringing it to his lips, the third martini quickly joining the first two.

[Zoisite Grey]

Zoisite looked up as he heard the other man almost call him by his real name. True he didn't really see anyone that could be a senshi or in any way affiliated with the palace, but he could suddenly appreciated Kunzite's comment about how important it was to keep up their pretenses. He tried to search his memory for what the other one was called in his human guise. Namine. . .ahh Nanami, that sounded about right to him. "Nanami," he acknowledged.

Though he barely even knew this other person, he really did seem under the weather. That would take all the fun out of teasing him; it always did when it came to teasing Nehrite at any rate. He sighed and glanced over at him, as he chuckled sarcastically. His words brought a small smirk to his lips despite the other's apparent distraught state. "Well I can't argue with that," Zoisite said with a shrug. Even if he was ever upset, he didn't care to let his appearance reflect the state his mind was in, at least not if he could help it anyway. He took a long sip of his sakke as he listened to Nanami explain, in the vaguest of terms he noted, what was bothering him.

He had never been much good at comforting people, at least not as far as he could remember. It was one of the reasons he was glad that when Kunzite had needed comforting, his presence had sufficed. "What kind of a failure? Zoisite asked, a slender eyebrow arched, his curiosity outweighing his lack of comforting skills. He returned the cheers motion with another shrug, finishing off the contents of the glass and refilling it. He certainly hoped for everyone's sake that it hadn't been the sort of failure that resulted in Nehelenia's wrath. The woman was almost as unstable as Beryl as far as he could tell, and that was no laughing matter.

[Nanami Uokawa]

Zoisite's reply to his compliment made a small smile flicker on Nanami's sad expression. ”Understandable”, he replied. Zoisite didn't struck him as the type of person that would ever go about underestimating his looks. It was mildly infuriating in a way. He had never seen the man walk around with a mirror in his hand, to make sure he looked flawless all the time, like he did, it all just seemed to flow so easily for him. He couldn't really know, but he imagined that if Zoisite wanted to go out, he took a lot less than an hour to look perfect. Some guys just really had all the luck: Zoisite was close to the king, rumor had it that he recently carried out successfully a mission drawn by Chaos and if he had a guess, he probably had some fabulous boyfriend somewhere in Crystal Tokyo. Well actually he was pretty sure that a guy as perfect as Zoisite had to have someone, it was why he didn't make any moves on him yet – that and the fact that he seemed to be quite unpleasant at times.

It made him wonder, really, just why did Zoisite bother with him right now anyway? Oh, like it was that much of a stretch of mind to figure that one out. With the way he probably looked right now, Fisheye knew that he was surely a perfect target for teasing and, well, it's not like he didn't deserve it anyway. His first response to Zoisite's question was a sigh and for a few moments he gazed at the empty glass, running his finger around his edge. How could he go about explaining how much of a mess he had gotten himself into? Well, he could probably just be blunt about it. Turning his head to look at Zoisite, he tried to smile at his own sorrow as he answered: ”The usual type... failed at love, failed a job... Though if she finds out about the last part, you'll probably hear the screams.” That being said, he gestured the bartender for yet another martini, bracing himself for whatever the other man had to throw his way. He was probably insane for getting himself completely drunk when there was a chance that Nehelenia would summon him if she found out about Yuki, but his situation was bad enough as it was, it wasn't like him being drunk could make it any worst.

[Zoisite Grey]

At Nanami's words it was Zoisite's turn to offer a mock toast. He slid a stray lock of black hair behind his ear as he took another generous sip from his glass. He was pleased, on an unrelated note, that even some of the newcomers knew that his appearance was nothing short of impeccable on a regular basis. It wasn't the easiest of tasks when you had to wear a starched uniform and regulation boots everyday, but it was nice when others noticed him putting forth the effort. He'd always been self conscious in that regard, but recently it had been for a specific purpose. He had wanted to be noticed by a specific someone, and he had, though not because oh his efforts. He supposed his nice appearance wasn't really the point of this would-be conversation though. It probably wasn't making Nanami feel any better either, considering he had forgone his usual vain tendencies for the evening.

Zoisite waited for the other man to explain his failure after he had sighed, but for a while none came. He was about to tell him to just forget it, and then finish up his drink, when he spoke. He blinked in surprise at his words. He hadn't expected him to be so frank about it. He arched an eyebrow at him, taking yet another sip before speaking. "Love?" he murmured curiously. From what he'd heard Fisheye was quite the little flirt, easily falling for other boys, but never getting serious. Perhaps he simply meant he'd been rejected by some victim for Nehelenia's cause.

The failed job part was more serious in the grand scheme of things. He could only imagine the sort of punishment the dark odango queen would dish out for him if she found out he'd failed her. Thoughts of the dream he'd had about Chaos ran through his mind and he quickly finished off his second glass. That was one of many reasons he liked to have a drink of two before heading back to their 'home'. He found it easier to imagine dealing with Chaos if he were to summon him unexpectedly if he'd had a drink or two. Though with the way Nanami was sucking them down, and their recent success in their mission, he felt he could afford to allow himself more than just one or two tonight. He smiled as he poured himself a third glass. He wondered idly if Nanami had been given a ridiculous mission like his and Kunzite's. "They shouldn't set impossible tasks if they want them accomplished, he muttered under his breath. He must be getting a bit of a buzz if he was actually concerned about Nanami's situation. He barely knew this guy, he shouldn't care. Despite the morbid nature of his comment, Zoisite lifted his glass once more. "Here's to her not finding out," he said wryly.

[Nanami Uokawa]

Nanami returned the mock toasting gesture. Well at least he had managed to give this conversation a good start when he decided to compliment “Zach's” look. Since he had been awakened and joined Nehelenia he hadn't actually talked to any of the shitennou aside from the occasional greeting when he walked past them. Most of the times he wasn't even graced with a response, which made Fisheye think of them as a snobbish little group. He just settled for observing them from afar and swooning over each them from time to time, specially after Zoisite. Now that was actually having the opportunity to talk to him, he wouldn't have wanted to mess things up, even if his mood was less than pleasant and fit for casual talks.

A bitter chuckle escaped Nanami's lips when Zoisite repeated the word love. ”Yes, love...” Sighing, he added, shaking his head slightly. ”Does it really seem impossible that I could actually love someone and be serious about it? The way you've said it makes me think you've heard about me. Am I wrong?” Fisheye knew that he was too flirty for his own sake and that he always claimed to be deeply in love with any pretty boy he'd see, but that was just how he was and he would have never changed anything about it. He only wished that people would take him serious when he was actually being serious. Zoisite's reaction now only fueled his belief that Tiger's Eye wouldn't even believe him if he'd ever told him what he felt for him. True, he had dropped more than enough hints to Yuki, but there were small chances that he'd add things together after he'd be awaken to his old self.

Nanami gestured the bartender to bring him the same “Zach” was having and within a couple of minutes a bottle of sake was in front of him and the contents of a first glass had already slipped down his throat, while he listened to the other man's muttering. ”What are you complaining about? Everyone has found out that you and... ummm... hmmm...” Nanami paused while trying to remember Kunzite's civilian name, but all to no avail. ”... the tall one”, he continued eventually, ”... had succeeded at something at some job that earned you master's grace.” Oh yeah, Nehelenia had made sure to lecture him about how the two had brilliantly executed an order from Chaos and brought back not one but two senshi, while he was incapable of finding two ordinary humans. ”Mine's not impossible, not any more. Earlier tonight, I was this close to carrying it out but I just... cowarded out at the last moment... because of love...” He drowned his bitterness into another cup of sake before refilling it again. ”Cheers”, Nanami replied lifting his glass, hoping that Zoisite's wish would come true. It was nice that he pretended to care and with the amount of alcohol he had by now, he saw no reason why he shouldn't let him know he thought that way: ”Thanks for acting like you care about it.”

[Zoisite Grey]

Zoisite stared a the other man a moment, debating whether or not he should say the first answer that popped into his head. 'Yes.' The hesitation was due to the fact that he remembered he really knew nothing about Nanami, so besides a few rumors, nothing about him should really be overly surprising. "No, I guess not," he replied with a shrug. He stared at the contents of his glass before taking another sip. "I've heard a few things," he replied evenly. "Any of it true?"

If it was true, he would find it somewhat difficult to believe that this boy was serious about whoever it was he had 'failed in love' with. Not that it was any of his business in the firs place. He wondered why he was bothering to humor him at all. He was admittedly the youngest in their quartet and despite Jadeite being close to him in age, they didn't do much together outside of protecting the king and working on missions for Chaos. He knew Fisheye was younger, perhaps not younger than him, but younger than Nephrite at the very least. Perhaps he was humoring Nanami because he just wanted to try bonding with someone close to his own age. Perhaps he just wanted to talk to someone who shared the same preferences he did.

He needed to stop analyzing his motives, he thought irritably. It was starting to make his head hurt. He didn't need to know why he was doing it: he wouldn't be bothering if he didn't want to. Zoisite watched as Nanami ordered the same as he was having, and he took the time to finish off half of his drink. A small grin, or rather smirk, appeared on his lips as he began to feel a slight fuzzy feeling at the edges of his mind. "Shin," he supplied, trying not to chuckle at Nanami's means of describing Kunzite. Yes Kunzite was quite tall, taller than him by a good four to five inches. At least he could content himself with the knowledge that he was even slightly taller than Jadeite. "Yes, we did didn't we?" he replied with a chuckle. His expression suddenlly turned more serious. "That was more luck than anything, it wasn't supposed to be so easy." Chaos had made the mission all but impossible, it had been luck that had allowed for the senshi to be in the garden and without her brooch. Although he liked to think their skills had more to do with the actual capturing part.

His brow furrowed slightly as Nanami spoke of how he'd almost carried out his orders, but love had stopped him. There was a time for love and a time for your work to come first. . .at least that's what he told himself from time to time. "Well you've still got time," he mused more to himself. "Maybe a few drinks is the courage you need to get the job done." He eyed the glass that Nanami had just polished off. "Though you seem to have had a bit more than a few," he said with a wry grin as he finished off his own glass. He poured himself yet another, wondering if and when he should cut himself off. He would have to teleport directly to his room after this, so Beryl didn't find him after a few drinks; he might say something he'd possibly regret if confronted with her. He had never had much of a head for alcohol, but it felt good to be letting go like this, causally chatting about someone else's love life. He smiled casually at the other man and shrugged. "It's the least I can do," he replied.

[Nanami Uokawa]

”Figures... Never knew I was that famous”, Nanami replied after Zoisite confirmed that he had indeed heard speaking of him. Now it made sense why he hesitated before answering – he was trying to find ways to put it nicely and avoid saying that he really didn't believe he could ever get serious. Taking an exageratedly long sigh, he continued, his tone laced with bitterness: ”Depends on what you've heard... If any of it implied me liking men, being a flirt and getting a new interest even as often as two times a day, then they were true.” Nanami shook his head, his eyes starting to sting with tears he didn't want to cry out of the little dignity he had left. Apparently the two?... three?... - okay, so he lost count – glasses had begun getting to his head. ”So what if I am like that? That's how I am, I don't see why I should pretend being someone else. Heh, it's not the first time I'm serious about someone, you know? Last time, before I... left, I've fallen for someone. He was so beautiful... there was something about him that made him different from all the others... oh and kissing him felt so... dreamy... But he rejected me for his precious Usako and her beautiful dreams. Hmmm... I'll never understand how he ended up with that red-haired who looks like she never had a beautiful dream in her life...” His voice trailed off as his brain drew the alarm and reminded him exactly to whom he was talking and he quickly swallowed another drink. ”Oups... As I was saying, I am serious and this time... I'm more serious!” Well that probably lacked sense, but he was trying to save the awkward moment.

”Ah, there you go, Shin! Thanks, Zach. Quite a handsome guy, I envy the girl who got her hands on him”, he spoke with a bit of a dreamy look on his face. No, he wasn't about to ever try making a move on Kunzite, the man scared him, quite frankly. Nanami rolled his eyes at the other man's next words. ”Luck or no luck, you've made the big boss happy. What fabulous reward did you get for your brilliant execution?”, he inquired curiously.

Zoisite's suggestion made Nanami burst into laughter, nearly chocking on the sake he was drinking at the moment. ”That would be the greatest disaster in the history of failed missions. Hah, me returning to the Butler's Cafe dressed like this and in this state... Tiger's... Yuki would throw me out in a second and I'll never get a chace to get close to him again. I'm building up my courage now for tomorrow... Or the day after... Or whenever the hangover will go away and he'll forget that he saw me change my features in the middle of the street, like an idiot.” He was probably talking too much but at this point, he wasn't exactly thinking too clearly. He offered Zoisite a smile. ”Thanks, it means a lot that you're wasting your time on me.”

[Zoisite Grey]

Zoisite chuckled at Fisheye's words. "You're a regular celebrity," he agreed. As he listened to the things Nanami listed off he nodded. "That would be what I've heard," he conceded. "Well that and you have a tendency to dress like the fairer sex." He raised his eyebrows at him as he peered over the top of his glass. His brows soon knitted together in confusion as Nanami seemed to be holding back tears. He truly hoped he didn't actually cry: he didn't do well with crying. He made exceptions for Kunzite naturally because it was something of a relief to know that even he cried at times, but when it came to other people he was somewhat awkward when it came to comforting.

Zoisite listened as he went on to describe the 'first guy he'd ever been serious about.' He took a sip of his sake at the wrong moment however and had to pause to catch his breath once he had begun choking on the beverage. He shook his head, disregarding the latter comment. "Ch-chotto matte," he sputtered, before taking a breath and making sure he could speak properly. "You were serious about Endymion-sama?" He wasn't sure whether or not he found the idea offensive or hilarious. He shook his head again, though this time out of disbelief. "I'll never understand what it is about him. . ." Not that he didn't think his king wasn't attractive, but he had never felt romantically inclined towards the man. Each to his own, he supposed.

Zoisite's eyes narrowed slightly at both the dreamy look that had spread to Nanami's features and the words that he had spoken about Kunzite. Perhaps the drinks were only magnifying his insecurities, but he didn't like the idea that Nanami would assume some girl had managed to catch the older man's eye. "No girl has her hands on him,[/b]" he informed him quickly. "I do." He stared at his drink begrudgingly as Nanami asked him what he'd received for his success. "Our lives," he muttered bitterly, taking another swig from the glass.

He was glad for the distraction presented by Fisheye's dismissal of his idea. He snorted slightly at the mental image of him drunkenly showing up at a Butler Cafe, calling Yuki out for a showdown. He tried not to let his thoughts stray to how cute it would be to go to one and see all the boys cosplaying. He blinked for a moment as Nanami mentioned this Yuki seeing him transform in the middle of the street. That was just foolish to be caught like that. "Perhaps giving it a day or two is best," he mused. At Nanami's last comment he shrugged casually. "You're welcome," he replied.

[Nanami Uokawa]

”Hah, I'm flattered”, Nanami replied not really putting too much feeling behind his statement. Had he been sober and more upbeat, hearing Zoisite call him a celebrity would have probably been enough to make him almost literally bounce off the walls. Tonight though, it felt more like Zoisite was trying to mock him, taking advantage of the already distraught state he was in. Oh well, not that he didn't deserve it, he was a ridiculously pitiful person while Zoisite was just... well perfect at just about everything that could cross his mind at the moment. ”You see how well I know what is being said behind my back? I'm not that air-headed or idiot... not all the time.” With a roll of his eyes, he continued: ”That's also true. I don't see the problem with it. I like it... and... well... it's the only way I ever get a guy to look my way... so... His voice trailed off in a sigh. He was beginning to be pretty sure that he would hate himself in the morning for having been so open about his insecurities to the man he pretty much admired but for now he chose not to worry about it, in favor of just allowing himself to indulge in the buzz the alcohol was giving him.

Apparently he needed to learn to think before speaking, even if he happened to be drunk while doing so. Nanami shrinked at Zoisite's reaction and for a couple of seconds he actually wondered if it would be a good idea to just make a run for it. He dismissed the idea however when he realized that – blessed be the gods – they were at the shitennou's cover-up workplace and he couldn't very well assault him immediately because that would have meant him exposing himself. True, that didn't guarantee the fact that the other man wouldn't do something unpleasant to him when they'd get out of there, but... maybe he'd take pitty in a drunken depressed person? Nanami replied, shrugging: ”I was. It's really hard to explain, there's just something about him that makes him so special... I'll just stop now...”, he abruptly stopped himself before running his mouth again and saying something even worst. It just didn't do admitting about his past interest in the king of Earth to one of his subordinates or whatever exactly Zoisite and the other three were to Endymion.

Judging by the look on Zoisite's face, it only seemed like he had managed to say something bag again, though he couldn't very well understand why speaking of Kunzite had earned him that look, unless... Before having a chance to finish his thoughts, Zoisite's words confirmed his suspicion and it was Nanami's turn to nearly choke on a sip of sake, staring at him in shock. ”Y-you?... and Kunzite? No way... Why do some have all the luck?” Knowing that Zoisite and Kunzite were a couple only served to add more to his depression about his own disastrous love-life. Really, some people just seemed to be born with all the luck in the world and that probably left nothing for those like him. Nanami drowned his realization into another cup of sake, still fighting to not make himself look even sillier and cry. A brow was raised when Zoisite told him about the reward Chaos had offered for their success. He had to admit that it was a motivating reward, but not exactly a “reward” in its proper meaning. It was more like... well he couldn't properly think of a way to put it at the moment, but he just knew for sure that he preferred not receiving any direct orders from Chaos in the immediate future. Not that Nehelenia gave any rewards, but at least she never really threatened his life... any more.

His thoughts quickly drifted back to Yuki and the mission and Nanami sighed quietly: ”Tiger's Eye... I miss him...” It made him sad to think that Tiger's Eye could have been back by now if he hadn't been that much of a coward earlier in the evening. But it was impossible to turn back time, wasn't it? He could only wait and give it a day or two, like Zoisite said to. Sighing, Nanami rested his elbows on the counter, folding his arms one over another, staring at the empty cup in front of him.

[Zoisite Grey]

Zoisite was tempted to point out that he hadn't suggested that Fisheye was either air-headed or an idiot: fickle and flirtatious, yes, but not the other two. Of course, it wasn't as though he frowned upon one being flirtatious. He shrugged and took another sip of his drink. "Never said you were," he said simply. As Nanami explained his . . .somewhat depressing. . .reason for dressing as a woman, Zoisite shrugged his shoulders once more. "Well, to each his own, right?" he said, choosing not to comment on the fact that the other man seemed to think that was his only means of attracting boys. Deceiving men into thinking he was a woman didn't seem the best way to attract a man who would be interested in other men in his opinion, but then who was he to judge?

Zoisite arched a brow as Fisheye went on to explain that there was something "special" about Endymion. He decided he found this more amusing than offensive after all. Endymion even had men pining after him, it seemed. He took a rather large swig of his drink and shook his head. He supposed he had a point there. Even he knew there was something special about his king. If there wasn't he doubted they all would still be following him even now. Though he doubted his special and Fisheye's special were the same thing. "He must be," he said with another shrug. Though he was somewhat relieved when Nanami decided not to go any further. "That's probably best," he agreed. "Talking about Endymion-sama in a romantic way is just. . . unsettling."

Zoisite frowned and swirled around the contents of his glass as Nanami seemed more shocked than he would like at his claim that he and Kunzite were together. "It's not that hard to believe," he grumbled as he motioned for another bottle to be brought over despite the fact that his bottle wasn't empty yet. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as Nanmi went on to suggest that he had all the luck. He was lucky, he knew, to have managed to break through Kunzite's shell, and even more lucky that after everything that had happened Kunzite seemed to return his feelings. If things hadn't gone so well at the ball, he would be Fisheye right now, pouring his heart out to some stranger over a few bottles. He sighed and put a hand to his head a slight dizzying feeling settling over him. "I was. . . lucky," he replied with a small chuckle. "Really lucky, but I had to make the first gesture. . .you just can't rely on luck."

He poured himself another glass, finishing of the first bottle in the process. If he kept this, up he was going to have one hell of a headache tomorrow, but the more he drank, the less important that little fact seemed to be to him. He sighed and shook his head at the other man. "I know you do," Zoisite was surprised to hear himself saying. How much had he had to drink by this point if it was allowing him to be anything but indifferent towards Fisheye. "Sitting around and getting drunk isn't going to bring him back though," he reminded him.

[Nanami Uokawa]

”True, I never heard you saying it... though this is the first time we actually talk so...”, Nanami replied with a sigh. ”Not that people actually say it directly anyway...”, he added at length. Oh, definitely he was going to hate himself in the morning for acting like this... well, maybe not in the morning but as soon as he recovered from the horrid hangover that awaited him. He'd probably become the laughing stock of the shitennou once Zoisite would tell them about this little run in but right now that was a far away perspective he didn't want to bother with at the very moment, when the sake and the martinis were doing such a good job numbing his body and mind. ”Right” was his answer to Zoisite's evasive comment. At least he didn't say anything insulting about his motives and that had to be a good thing, right? Let him think what he wanted, that was a completely different story.

As Zoisite proceeded to explain what he felt about hearing him talk like that about Endymion, Nanami nodded. ”I suppose it is.” He couldn't exactly relate, really. He hadn't been in this situation until now, but he doubted he'd have a problem with hearing anyone talking that way about Nehelenia. But yet again Endymion hardly looked like the annoying type of leader – like the odangoed nightmare – so probably the four men had better feelings towards him? ”Don't worry, the only interest I have in him now is finding out how come he changed his mind about his Usako”, he assured Zoisite, swallowing another drink. Maybe he wasn't being completely honest and maybe he wouldn't have minded if Endymion paid him a bit of attention in case Tiger's Eye never did, but there was no reason why he should admit that to Zoisite and be met with some unpleasant reaction.

The frown he was getting was, for the moment, unpleasant enough. What? He had really been shocked, was he supposed to have just take it all in stride? Nanami shrugged and lifted his shoulders: ”He didn't really struck me as the type... or as the type that had any feelings at all... Heh, what can I say? Be happy.” Zoisite's next words made him quirk a brow in curiosity. ”You made your first move? What did you do?”, he asked eagerly, in hope that he could try whatever Zoisite did on Tiger's eye.

Nanami sniffled as he stared at the glass in front of him. He still had a bit of sake left in the bottle, but he didn't really feel like pouring himself another drink. He had had quite enough and it had gotten up to his head so much that he didn't actually care about the fact that he was now crying. ”I want to bring him back... but at the same time... I'm afraid to do it and see him wander around after girls...”, he told Zoisite, sniffling from time to time.

[Zoisite Grey]

It was true that they hadn't really spoken much until this point in time. Zoisite hadn't really seen a need to: they served different members of royalty, not to mention the fact that the other man had only recently been reawakened, or whatever had been done to return him to Nehelenia's control. Add onto that the fact that he didn't exactly make friends easily, and it was pretty obvious why the two of them had never really spoken until alcohol was involved. He shook his head, almost immediately regretting it as it made his vision tilt dangerously, at Nanami's consistent defeated attitude. He'd never met someone quite so. . .melancholy before. "There's not much to do in . . .back there. . . besides sleeping and gossip, so people are bound to talk about anything," he said with a helpless shrug.

Zoisite remained silent for a while after Zoisite's comment about Endymion and "Usako". He knew what had happened, or at least he could guess as much. "I can't imagine anyone finding that red haired witch appealing," Zoisite muttered, nursing the remaining contents of his glass. He'd never quite forgiven Beryl for finishing him off last time around. Call it childish if you want, but he found it hard to move past that little tidbit when he had been reanimated. He had his suspicions about the real reasoning behind Endymion's sudden infatuation. After all, it wasn't exactly logical for a man who had once hated her so thoroughly to willingly go to her side just because he'd realized Serenity was the enemy. It wasn't as though h could just march up to Chaos and ask him straight out: did you warp Endymion's mind so that thinks he's in love with the epitome of crazy?

Zoisite's frown had lessened somewhat at Nanami's response about Kunzite and his relationship. Kunzite hadn't really struck him as that type either. That was largely the reason he had been so shocked at the ball. He decided Nanami was lucky he was past the point of tipsy by now or he might have taken greater offense to his saying Kunzite didn't strike him as the type to have emotions. "He does," he defended, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "He just hides them well. You have to know him to see them." He was glad that he had been privy to the older shitennou's emotions, something few if any others could claim to see. . .and something he didn't really want them to be able to claim to have seen. He smiled and leaned over a little, conspiratorially, as Fisheye went on to ask him about what he'd done to make the first move. "I bought him a present," he explained. "Something that was important to him, and when I gave it to him things just sort of played out well afterward."

He glanced over as he heard sniffling coming from the other man. Oh this wasn't good. He didn't do well with crying, except the obvious exception. He stared at his drink a moment and downed the rest of it, pouring himself another glass before he turned back towards Nanami. He hesitantly reached out his hand and pat his back before dropping it back down to his lap. "Well if he's wandering after girls now, and you think he'll be wandering around after girls when he comes back. . .wouldn't you rather he be with you at least? I mean if he's back with you, you'll have a chance to get him to change his mind," he said with a slight shrug.

[Nanami Uokawa]

Nanami nodded in response to Zoisite's observation about life in Chaos' realm. He was right, he had to give him that, that place was absolutely boring beyond words. Classier than the Circus, of course, but at least he had something better to do in the Circus than just wander dull hallways or sit in his room. ”Heh, it is boring there. I miss the Circus, now that was bound to keep you busy enough not to gossip all day long”, he shared his revelation with the other man, blinking a few times to chase away the fog that was slowly clouding his vision. For a second he wondered if he would even be able to walk far away from the bar as to teleport himself back, but he quickly dismissed the thought. There was time enough for worrying later, now the time was to just focus on the purpose at hand: drowning his cowardice into alcohol.

”Well, he seems to find her appealing. Between you and me, she seems worse than my unpleasant queen. Don't know how you guys put up with her.” Maybe he was crazy for speaking like that about Beryl, but there was no way that she could learn about it now, was it? He doubted Zoisite would tell on him, if only for the way in which he referred to her. ”Witch, eh? Harsh word for the one you serve”, he commented, quirking a brow. He was a bit curious if Zoisite just called her that because he had the habit of calling people names or because of some other reason. ”Did she do something to you?”, he asked bluntly, not about to let his curiosity unsatisfied.

Nanami shrugged a bit as Nanami proceeded to explain that Kunzite had feelings. ”Oh yeah, he hides them very well. Like I said, lucky you...” His voiced trailed off in a sigh. Those guys really loved each other if the scary and cold silver-haired man would open up to Zoisite about his feelings. He listened carefully to Zoisite's next answer, his eyes widening a bit. ”You won him over with a present? Wow, that must have been one hell of a present! I wonder...” He quickly started thinking if he could apply the same strategy with Tiger's Eye, but after a few moment's silence, he realized the cruel truth: ”I don't even know what would be important to Tiger's Eye... wouldn't work for me”, he commented as he proceeded at finishing off what was left of the sake.

The man blinked a bit when he felt the pat on his back. Well, that was certainly... It was... Well, he wasn't quite sure how to put it, not after so many drinks. “Nice” was probably a good word and for a moment he wondered if there was a chance for the two of them to actually get along well and be friends even after they'd sober up. Eh, that was probably just wishful thinking and Nanami wiped at the tears that had fallen, paying attention to Zoisite's advice. ”Change his mind... change his mind...” His mind rested on the thought for a while. He had heard of things like that happening, so who was to say that it couldn't happen in Tiger's Eye case too? Well, maybe the fact that he only had eyes for beautiful young women. But he was young too and he was beautiful and he was pretty like a woman so that had to count for something, right? Nanami's face lit up and he slammed his fist into the bar, in determination. ”That's right, I'll make him change his mind! I'll make him realize that I'm just as good as all those frilly girls he chases after! Tomorrow, I bring him back... ugh...” The man brought his hands to his temples and rubbed them. ”I don't feel too good”, he mumbled as the enthusiastic outburst had made his head spin.

[Zoisite Grey]

Zoisite could agree to it being boring back in Chaos's realm. It was one of the reasons he had initially jumped at the opportunity to get a job in Crystal Tokyo. Though it also had largely to do with the whole 'getting away from Beryl and Chaos' thing. To be fair, he enjoyed being there at times now which could be blamed on a certain silver haired shitennou. The latter part of the comment he could only blink and then shrug his shoulders at. "I've never been to the circus," he said indifferently. Though he'd heard a few things (rumors, names, etc.) he hadn't bothered to learn about the fact that they had called themselves the Dead Moon Circus.

Zoisite didn't bother to hide the shudder as Nanami referred to the situation as Endymion finding her appealing. "Oh she's much worse," Zoisite agreed. He snorted lightly as Fisheye asked how he put up with her. "Years of learned patience, he explained. He didn't add the fact that he had little to no choice when it came to putting up with her. Though he consoled himself with the fact that his allegiance didn't rest with her. A fact Nanami seemed unaware of. "I don't serve her," he said, staring at his glass before draining it's contents. "I protect Endymion-sama." As a shitennou, he technically served the king, but he had liked to think that in the past it was less of a servitude and more of a vow to protect the king. His brow furrowed at the last comment, or rather question. He figured he'd had enough by this point to share just what that red haired devil had done to earn his hatred. Though he'd developed a dislike for her before she'd done it. "She killed me," he said bitterly, pouring the rest of the bottle into his glass.

Zoisite was tempted to comment about Kunzite hiding his feelings, but he knew it was true. He liked it that way, it made him feel special in a way. He nodded his head in agreement to his repeated "lucky you". He smirked as Nanami went on to comment on his methods of attempting to win Kunzite over. "It was," he informed him. He stared back at his drink helplessly as Fisheye realized he didn't know what to get for this Tiger's Eye fellow. He hadn't a clue as to who this guy even was, so he knew he wouldn't be much help there.

He looked up suddenly, startle by Fisheye's fist banging into the counter. He nodded his head and grinned at the other man's enthusiasm. "That's the spirit," he said with a light chuckle. He watched as the effects of the alcohol seemed to catch up with Nanami. "You'll feel worse tomorrow: it's going to be a helluva hangover," he said. "You must have drank at least three times as much as I did." Though in all actuality, he -Zoisite- had drunk more than he could usually tolerate without getting drunk. He'd never gotten a hangover before though, so he doubted he would have to worry about that. The getting home in one piece part was another story.

[Nanami Uokawa]

Nanami let out a scandalized gasped when he heard Zoisite say that he had never been to the circus before – definitely much too scandalized given the petty nature of the comment, but after all that alcohol, such a comment was coming off as a huge shocking statement. ”Never? How sad! No wonder you're with the bad guys!” What one thing had to do with the other, he didn't really now. It seemed somewhat obvious in his mind that not being taken to the circus made one sad enough as to become a villain. Had he been sober, he would have realized the flaw in the argument: Fisheye himself had spent the best part of his life in a circus and he was a villain too. ”Too bad our Circus is no more, you would have loved it. I was the best knife thrower they ever had!” The last part had been said with much enthusiasm, though that was far from being the truth. There were children with better aim than his, but he was working hard on improving! Of course, Zoisite had no possible way of knowing that he had lied and, hopefully, by the time he would ever need to demonstrate his skill to the other man, he would manage to hit a target... within less than ten attempts.

The drunken Nanami nodded when Zoisite agreed to his observation about Beryl being worst than Nehelenia, though, at the end of the day, they both weirded him out enough for him to dread stepping on their nerves or even run into them all alone in some dark corridor. ”Years?”, Nanami asked, quirking a brow. ”You sound as if you're old.” He was under the impression that Zoisite was younger than him or roughly around his age, how many years could he have been serving for anyway? The alcohol had surely gotten to his head. He chose not to say anything when he commented that he protected Endymion, not serving Beryl. Rumor had it that him and the others had been there since before Endymion came to the realm, so what Zoisite had just said didn't really make sense at the moment. The other man's comment made him offer him a pitiful look and a pat on the back. ”That's not nice. What didn't you do?” Probably the question would have sounded odd to normal ears, but when it came to working for some evil mad woman, death came usually for failing to do something to please their odd moods, rather than from doing something to irritate them.

Nanami's curiosity about the present that Zoisite had peaked and he could no longer fight the urge to ask him more about. ”Ooooooooo, what did you get him?” Leaning closer towards Zoisite, he added with a wink, in a lower voice: ”What did he get you in return?” Odds are that after pushing the conversation on such a course, Fisheye would avoid Zoisite out of embarassment, but he wasn't thinking that straight yet as to worry about that yet.

Grumbling, Nanami had to agree with Zoisite. Tomorrow was going to be one awful day and he had himself to blame for that. ”It wouldn't be the first time, I'm used to it... Not that I'm doing this too often... just when I get depressions, 's all.” The last thing he wanted was to earn himself a fame of having drinking issues when that was certainly not the case. He took a few seconds to size up Zoisite and added with a chuckle: ”I think you're going to feel the worst... don't strike me as the drinking type. I might have had two... three... more... martini than you, but I think you're more drunk.”

[Zoisite Grey]

Zoisite made a sound that could have been classified as a snort, something he might have found crude under different circumstances. Yes, not going to the circus that was what had brought him down this path. "Endymion-sama isn't a bad guy. . .just misguided. . .by other bad guys," Like Chaos and Beryl for instance, he allowed the last part to be said only in his head. He'd long since realized his time serving Beryl had been a very misguided portion of his own life. He frowned as he realized both his glass and the bottle he'd had were empty. He gestured at the bartender to bring him another. He allowed another chuckle to escape his lips at Fisheye's suggestion about the circus he and those others he'd heard about were a part of, though this one was considerably less derisive. "I'll take your word for it," he said. He had no reason not to either. He'd never seen Fisheye so much as draw a knife let alone throw one.

He grinned as Nanami suggested he sounded older. It was nice to hear someone outside their immediate group referring to him as older. Of course, in his less than coherent state he seemed to have confused older for mature. That was irrelevant as far as he was concerned. "I'm only 17," he explained. "But I'm sure you understand the concept of past lives. . . let's just say I've come and gone my share of times." And all of those lives had involved his damned servitude to that red haired witch. Once he'd begun to remember his life during the silver millennium, it wasn't hard to break his feeling of obligation to the woman, not that he'd ever been overly fond of her. Speaking of reasons to dislike the woman, Nanami was harping on one of them. Or at least it felt like harping to his fuzzy mind. He offered a humorless laugh at the question. "I failed to retrieve the ginzuishou," he said in a half-hearted imitation of Beryl. "Rather epically," he added. "A senshi interfered."

Zoisite was much more interested in talking about the gift exchange between himself and Kunzite. It was nice having someone interested in it: it wasn't as though he could go pounding on Jadeite's door and tell him everything. . . and he almost laughed at the thought of Nephrite wanting to hear about the two of them. "I got him a snow globe," he began, a bit of excitement adding to the slight slur his voice was taking on. "I'm not much for snow globes myself, but it was special to him, so I bought it." He smiled as he thought about the evening again. "He got me a rose," he said somewhat dreamily. "A white rose."

His smile broadened as he was presented with a second bottle. He wasted no time in pouring himself another glass. He nodded his agreement to Nanami's comment. He didn't always go around getting drunk either. "Just every once in a while for me," he explained. "Takes the edge off of working for . . .well you know." He laughed as if to brush off Nanami's next comment, despite how true it might end up being. "I'll be fine. . .I can. . .hold my alcohol just. . .fine," he assured him. "I'm much more drunk than you are, I mean I am. . . You're more drunk. . ."

[Nanami Uokawa]

To Zoisite's comment about Endymion not counting as a bad guy, Fisheye nodded half-heartedly: ”If you say so. You know him better. To me he seems... different. When I fell in...” Catching himself before having another slip about his history with Endymion, he coughed a bit before continuing: ”I mean, when I met him for the first time he had this vibe... now it's just not the same. I don't feel him as just misguided.” By the time he finished his explanation, Fisheye realized that it made better sense in his head than it did once spoken. What he had meant was that Endymion's aura just felt different now than it did some years before. Even in his eyes he could see something different. Okay, so maybe for lack of a better thing to do and for the sake of not thinking about his absent friends too much, Fisheye had paid more attention to the king than he should have and that led him to the conclusion that Endymion was pretty much a different man than Mamo-chan had been and that he was now evil. A wide grin spread to Nanami's lips when Zoisite said that he took his word about his skills. ”I'll show you one of these days...” His voice trailed off and he felt like slapping himself when he realized what he had just said. Showing what to Zoisite? How epically he failed? Hopefully the shitennou could care less or he would be drunk enough to forget he had even mentioned such a thing. An eyebrow quirked in a mixture of curiosity and amusement upon realizing that Zoisite had just ordered a second bottle and, though for a couple of seconds he had been tempted to do the same, Fisheye eventually decided against it: he had enough for the night and the conversation had provided him with enough distraction, it was sane to stop drinking so at least one of them would be able to bring them both back home.

”Ah, so I'm not that air-headed! You are younger than me!”, Fisheye replied victoriously before the next part of Zoisite's explanation made him pinch the bridge of his nose and sigh dramatically. ”Oh, let's not get into that! Trying to figure out that concept makes my head spin. Mine makes no sense. I died four... five... years ago... and now I'm eighteen...” His words ended with an exasperated flail of his hands. Even when sober thinking about this issue made his head hurt and not just figuratively. Thinking back of his death resulted invariably in a throbbing headache and the feeling that he was overlooking something, that there was something wrong in the way he remembered things, but the more he thought about it, the worst it made him feel so he always gave up on the attempt. Nodding and patting Zoisite's shoulder compassionately, Fisheye spoke: ”Aah, I see, the ginzuishou... Yeah, that's bad...” After a few second's silence in which Fisheye just continued to pat the other man's shoulder, he added in a lower voice: ”Say, what is the ginzuishou?” The fist of his other hand clenched and was risen next to his face as he spoke again: ”Those damn senshi! It's because of them that we died too!”

All sorts of theories were running through Fisheye's mind in regards to the gift giving that found Zoisite a lover but none of the things he imagined came even close to what he heard Zoisite speak of. Blinking and tilting his head, he stared at the younger man's enthusiasm as if he had grown a second head – though that wouldn't have really been that odd, he had seen odder things than that in his past life. ”That's... it? A snow globe and a rose?” For the sake of not receiving a bottle of sake in his head, Fisheye bit his tongue and stopped himself from saying just how ridiculous that sounded. More than ridiculous. It completely clashed with the image he had of the two shitennou.

Fisheye watched as Zoisite poured himself another drink, trying to disguise the chuckles that came when he heard him struggle his way through logic. The fight was lost and he laughed by the time the other man finished speaking, shaking his head. ”You sure you should drink that? You don't sound like you can hold your alcohol that fine. Hah, you're wasted, my friend! What will the scary tall one say when he sees you like this?”

[Zoisite Grey]

Zoisite, fortunately for his present company, did not catch his little slip. Not that he would have done much about it anyway apart from giving Nanami a discouraging look. . .and maybe reminding him that he was talking about his king. Instead even his sake addled mind was interested in what the other man had to say about Endymion's aura. He had suspected there had been something odd about the king's allegiance to Chaos. Perhaps this was something to back up his little theory. True Fisheye had only mentioned that Endymion had a different feel to him. . .strictly on a spiritual level. . . he hope for everyone's sake, but even Kunzite seemed to have noticed something was off about the man they served. "If Ch. . .if you know who has changed Endymion-sama, I'll. . ." he paused, wondering just what he'd be able to do oppose the situation. "I'll. . .protest emphatically." As Nanami smiled in response to his own comment, he found himself also grinning. He wondered just how much he'd had to drink by this point if he was grinning like a fool with someone he hardly knew. He decided he'd had enough to not care that he was. He nodded as Nanami told him he'd show off his skills. "Just remind me when I'm sober," he murmured.

He felt a frown tugging down at his lips as Nanami confirmed what he had already guessed to be true: he was older than him. It grew frustrating after a while, to always be the youngest. At least the last time, the senshi had been younger. . . Even Endymion had been the same age as him. The victorious way in which he claimed to be older was almost enough to make him verbalize a disagreement with the first part of his statement. "You can't be that much older than me," he muttered as he took a generous gulp from his glass. His temper was somewhat lessened by the reaction to his comment on precious lives. He refrained from vocalizing that the glass in his hand was currently making his head spin. He instead blinked at the other man. "You died. . .and now you're. . ." he tried to process that. "You're right, it's making my head spin too. But then, I died 6 years ago and I'm still 17. . .so I'm not one to talk."

It might have struck him as odd, were he of sound mind, that he was casually chatting about death over a few drinks -- and not even his first death at that. He allowed the hand Fisheye offered as comfort for his death. It wasn't often, if ever, that he got to speak about the event. he glanced up as he heard the question. "The ginzuishou is the baka-sama's crystal. It's what gives her power. All the times she destroys youma or heals her friends. . .or any other number of annoying things, she's using the ginzuishou," he explained. He smirked at Fisheye's reaction to the senshi. "They're more trouble than they're worth, but we'll soon be rid of them." Or at least the would be if Chaos would stop having them capture the senshi and start letting them kill those irritating mini-skirt wearing girls.

He raised an eyebrow at Fisheye's reaction to his present. What was his problem? Didn't he realize that getting anything from Kunzite was more than he'd anticipated happening, let alone getting a rose. "What's wrong with a rose and a snow globe?" he asked. "They did the trick, didn't they? It showed him how I felt, and got him to admit he liked me!" Despite the anger he tried to force into his tone, he smiled at the thought again. He quirked an eyebrow once more at Nanami's question. "I'm sure I should drink it. . .I'm no lightweight," he said, taking a swig to make a point. "Just 'cause I'm. . . smaller than the others doesn't mean I. . .I can't hold my alcohol." He made a soft snorting sound at Fisheye's question. Though it had taken him a few moments to recall who the "scary tall one" was. "He's not scary," Zoisite said, waving it off. The sane part of his mind disagreed. Kunzite could be downright terrifying if he needed to be, but Zoisite wasn't afraid of him. ". . .And I'm not wasted," he added as an after thought, folding his arms on the counter top and resting his head on them.