I GOT A HANG OVER OUOHOO OHH

It took two portals for Hya to convince Abe - and along with the rabbit tripping between his own feet- for him to finally portal them out of the maze.

"Go home, Abe." The fox had said, though chuckling a bit at the rabbit's current demeanor.

"Sorry we couldn't finish," the maze run. The rabbit's mouth forgot to finish his sentence. 

"It's fine, it's fine." Hya assured him. "I saw something fun tonight so it makes up for it."

Abe rubbed the back of his neck. The cold night breeze touching whatever exposed skin that could help him sober up. Perhaps drinking with Casa before his scheduled maze run really was a bad idea. It had been a while since he tasted the sweet tang of Red Lotus Palace's oun wine so maybe that's why he had accepted the invitation.

He thanks his past self to have left Usa with Agnus for the time being.

He makes a note for his future self to call Lex to pick him up once the world starts spinning again.

Despite all that and having dropped Hya off at the fox's residence - with a loose, drunken promise to the fox that he'll call the flamingo- Abe found himself walking on Red Lotus Palace's main street.

The city was really quiet save for a few businesses open for all hours of the day. He could mostly only hear his steps on the rocky cobblestone. Save for someone smelling of strong perfume loudly bargaining with a shop owner.

"Abe? Oh my goddess, are you drunk?" He hears the bargainer address him. Huh? Since when was he part of the bargain..?

Abe squints and tries to focus again. He thinks he knows who he's talking to. Or at least recognizes her to some degree. He's met her once and heard her sing before.

"What are you doing at the shop?" He asks, then his brain caught up to the question he was supposed to answer. "Went out drinking." 

She slowly nods. Then she sniffles. "I'm trying to buy some clothes from Cherry but she's refusing my ticket. After I finally saved up enough for it, too."

Abe didn't really get it but he knows a Cherry. She was one of the many merchant pathfinders among their circle. "Cherry doesn't have any real reason to refuse your ticket though. It's a horrible way to run a business."

"Abe..." Cherry huffs. Abe cuts her off first.

"Cherry, minha querida," Abe cooes, "You make the best clothes around. The styles you make are still my favorites to this day." He thinks back to the times he's commissioned the merchant for clothes not only for him, but for friends as well and he can't help but look at her adoringly. Cherry works so hard and it's worth admiring.

"I do see you wear it often..." Cherry blushes. And it's true! He can't deny how much he loves what she makes.

Cherry gives him a sigh She turned to the bargainer and took the ticket. Then she promptly looked at him.

"Well?"

"Hm?"

"Are you going stand there and watch me take her measurements or are you going to leave?"

Oh! Abe's ears turned pink. He backed out of the stall and waved vaguely. "Um... If you need me I'll be... over there..." He doesn't know what 'over there' really means but it was the best excuse he could give at the moment. "Once you've picked your new clothes can I... see...?" Yeah, it was definitely wiser to leave now before he says any more. 

Abe didn't know how he got a gambling and drinking table but he could vaguely remember a drunken soldier pulling him in. The wine was cheap but the company was fun at least. The soldier and the scholar had managed to tangle their limbs together in their drunken merry cheer. He hardly registers the sorceress leaning up to his side. 

Then the strong scent of perfume passed by him. Without realizing, he had pried off the sorceress off him and grabs blindly for the perfume wearer.

"Woah." He says stupidly, not fully registering what he was seeing.

"There you are." Oh. He recognizes the voice now. And even in her new clothes, her silky black hair still stood out after all.

"Marsyas." He recalls her name now. "I don't think Cherry would have accepted the ticket if you didn't talk to her." Marsyas says. "And you said you wanted to see the clothes she made so I tried to find you..."

Abe registers what she said and softens the grip he has on her arm. He leans back a little to look at Cherry's craftsmanship on her.

"Woah..." Stupid says again. Her clothes have softened her features, making her look like she's there but at the same time, wasn't. Or perhaps that was his head spinning again. She looks brilliant. And in the soft light of the late night, "Wings..?" he spoke out loud without really thinking.

Marsyas looked confused and Abe was just as confused. Did he imagine it then? "You look beautiful." He says softly as he looked at her even more. His brows furrowed together, wondering where these thoughts were coming from.

And in the back of his mind, a thought reminded him to call Lex. He let go of Marsyas's hand - he didn't know when he began holding it - and apologized profusely as he got up from the table. He reached up to the communication stone hidden in his earring.

Abe felt a swell of pride for Agnus and his friend for this invention. And a wave of releif filled him to hear Lex's voice on another end.

"Hey, sorry for the late call." He begins.

"Oh no worries, its not like I stay up for you or anything." Lex says. A jingle of keys told Abe the flamingo was already moving and on his way. "I know, I know. Thanks for picking up. I don't trust myself to bunny hop home anymore. Please come pick me up, Taxi~"

He hears Lex laugh before the call ended and remembers Marsyas standing still standing there awkwardly.

"I mean it, you know. When I said you looked beautiful." He pauses, gathering his thoughts and sobering up just a little bit. "Maybe Cherry didn't want to make you these clothes cause she knew it would have an effect on people."

"An effect?" Marsyas asks him.

Before he could give a reply, he hears the tell tale flutter of feathers and knows for sure his winged friend has arrived. "See you later, Super Idol." He waved her off in a sing song voice before heading towards the soft sound of the feathers. Completely forgetting he hadn't answered her question.