[sub]Collab with [@The Muse][/sub]

After Mari nervously croaked out that he was mistaken after her relationship with the man next to her, Alban was guided over to a chair by Shizuka. He leaned back, relaxing his head against the crest rail. To the others, Al looked tired, as if he were about to fall asleep. Though the world was slowly collapsing into a blur, he heard Shizuka mention something about hors d'oeuvres and a plate slide in front of him. [color=6ecff6]“As a kid I used to call hors d’oeuvres, whores-day-oovers.”[/color] he mumbled out, partly in English. 

His swimming vision saw Mari grab a glass of wine, and his father’s words of wisdom echoed in his head: [color=a2d39c][i]‘If you'ré drunk, drink until you can't remémbair anytheng. Zen you 'ave an excuse fair all la dumb thengs you did befaire.’[/i][/color] Al whispered [color=6ecff6]“Oui, capitaine.”[/color] in French, making a half hearted attempt to salute. Following Mari’s example, he also took a glass, swirling it in his hand before downing it all. Then he heard the voice of his daughter’s mentor ask him a question.

“[color=dodgerblue][b]Why don’t you introduce us, Al?[/b][/color]” 

Alban froze there for a second before he finally raised his head. The professor was gesturing towards Shizuka. [color=6ecff6]“This is Shizuka and she is my…”[/color] The blonde man quickly began to shovel food in his face, trying to speak at the same time. Whatever he had attempted to say came out as garbled, incomprehensible mess. 

Behind her mask Mari carefully watched Al, noting the way he stared up at the ceiling and muttered to himself. She had never seen him like this before; he was always so composed and cordial when dropping off his daughter for private violin lessons. Although the more she watched him, the more amused she became. However, her constant sipping of pink wine certainly helped in that department. 

“[color=dodgerblue][b] So your girlfriend then? I didn’t know you had a girlfriend Al! How long have you been dating?[/b][/color]” She automatically assumed that the girl next to him had to be his girlfriend. She was trying to take care of him by sitting him at a table and offering food to the drunk, after all. 

Taking another sip of her wine, her emerald eyes gazed over the wine glass and surveyed the ball room. Suddenly a deep chested laughed pierced her ears, all too familiar. Instinctively Maribelle turned her head toward the sound, eyes settling on an athletically built man sitting just a few tables away. Maribelle’s heart dropped into her stomach and for a moment it felt like all time had stopped. She stared at him, stunned, but he didn’t seem to notice. Despite his black mask, she knew his face instantly. She had gazed upon it for so many years with so much love, and now it had turned into nothing but horrible disdain. 

Just next to her ex-husband was another person she could feel only hatred for. His lover, of course. The woman he had left her for. Ruined a happy marriage and cheated on her for. Maribelle had hoped that they would have broken up by now, but apparently- 

[color=6ecff6]“N-no, I don’t have a girlfriend! She's just a friend!”[/color] Al spoke in the midst of her inner turmoil, trying to make it clear he and Shizuka weren’t dating. It was way too soon to jump that shark. Strangely, as soon as he said that, Maribelle appeared to look at him with a wild stare. Was she really that shocked to hear that news?

“[color=dodgerblue][b] WHAT?![/b][/color]”

Maribelle nearly choked on her drink, unable to stop her outburst. The woman next to her ex-husband had been wearing a black flowing dress, but it was easy to see that she was pregnant, and rather far along too. Heart racing, Maribelle turned her attention back on the table and suddenly downed her entire glass of wine in one giant gulp. “[color=dodgerblue][b] Uhm.. Al, dear, would you mind walking with me to the bar?[/b][/color]” She stood up abruptly, making it clear that he didn’t really have a choice in the matter. 

Once he stood, Maribelle grabbed his arm and started marching with him over to the bar. “[color=dodgerblue][b] Order me a gin and tonic, please. Make it strong… I’ll be right back.[/b][/color]” She left Alban at the bar and disappeared in the direction of the restroom. Her hands were shaking from adrenaline; caused by a rush of nervousness and anger. She needed something to mellow her out. 

As she reached the restroom Maribelle locked herself in a stall and rummaged through her clutch bag. Inside, where change would usually go, Maribelle had saved a few pills of Valium that her doctor had prescribed her inside of a zip lock bag. Popping one, she dry swallowed it and then made her way back out to Al. She would be feeling a lot better in about thirty minutes. 

Alban was awfully confused as he stood at the bar. Maribelle had just led him over here, just to order her a gin and tonic? Or was there something more to this? He wasn’t really in the state of mind to question it though. [color=6ecff6]“Hey, bartender, I need a gin and tonic. With um… 3 shots? Yeah. 3 shots sounds strong enough.”[/color] he requested, rubbing his forehead all the while. [color=6ecff6]“No, wait. Make that a gin and tonic, and I’ll have some shots. Just lay em out with whatever, and I’ll just take em as you give them to me.”[/color]

As Al leaned against the counter and waited for the bartender to make the drinks, he overhead a silver haired man talking to "Su Long", the assumed mother of Lucille. "Is something the matter? You appear a little...correct me if I'm wrong, a little shocked about something..." the man was saying. The Frenchman let out a loud scoff. [color=6ecff6]“I wouldn’t waste my time on someone like that, buddy. Your friend, Su, needs to pack her bags up and go back to Korea.”[/color] Al snidely commented, obviously drunk and trying his damnedest not to glare at the two. With all the noise around him though, he wasn't sure they heard him. Maybe that was for the best. [sub][@MyCatGinger][@BlueAjah][/sub]

Finally, the bartender came with their drinks. A flight of shots for Al and Mari’s gin and tonic awaited them. Where the brunette had run off to, the blonde didn’t have clue. Why had she dragged him over here?

“[color=dodgerblue][b] Al![/b][/color]” Maribelle lit up with a smile, clearly in a better mood than previously. “[color=dodgerblue][b]Thank you! Oh, shots too?[/b][/color]” Not waiting for an answer, Maribelle took three of the six shots and threw them back one after the other. She giggled and cringed after she finished, “[color=dodgerblue][b] Those certainly were strong. [/b][/color]” She grabbed the gin and tonic and turned to look over to where her ex-husband sat. Slyly, Maribelle slipped her arm through Alban’s and clinged to his side. There was no way she would allow her ex to see her dateless at a party like this. 

“[color=dodgerblue][b] We need something a little more lively to dance to, don’t you think Al?[/b][/color]” She looked up at the taller blonde man at her side, eyes beginning to glaze over from the mix of alcohol and narcotics. Had he always looked so attractive? Somehow, she had completely forgotten about the two they had left back at the table.

Al blinked once and in a blur, Mari had taken shots and now had an arm laced through his. She was visibly very close to him, almost flirtatiously. Panic flooded his mind subconsciously, but physically and mentally he didn’t react. Instead, he picked up the remaining shot glasses and kicked them back, faster than she had. He would not be outdone by her! 

Gagging, his visage turned to face hers, not noticing she was glaring at him quite intensely. [color=6ecff6]“Yeah, you’re right. This music is way to slow. I gotta go fast right now.”[/color] Al told her in agreement, flashing a very intoxicated smile her way. His eyes searched the venue for DJ Dangermouse, and once they had been found, he marched off to get this party shifted into 5th gear, Mari practically attached to his hip. 

[color=6ecff6]“Hey, DJ! Get this show started, maaan! I can’t handle this slow crap right now. It’s making me lose my buzz!”[/color] he slurred out, waving his hands in the air. Right now, Al seemed more like a party animal rather than the usual composed man he was. Apparently, the piano man heard him and gave Alban an awful leer that was met by Al’s own deadpan stare. The shirtless DJ gave him and Mari a thumbs up though, and there was a transition from slow dance music to the bouncing bass of club music. Al was starting to get to the point of intoxication where he wasn’t exactly sure where he was, and he drunkenly put his arm around her waist... Mari, on the other hand, was just reaching euphoria. 

[@Stern Algorithm][@Rekaigan]