It was a miserable and rainy day, but Francis loved the rain. He was soaked, and the mud splattered up almost to his knees in the clothes he'd borrowed from the church. They were soft and oversized in some ways and short in others, but more than that they were very worn and had a lot of patches and stitches showing their history. He liked these clothes and that might be why they looked even rougher than usual.

After wandering the town, listening in secretly to any good gossip, and managing to snatch some food from a stall that had a distracted seller, it was getting later in the day and he was starting to feel the chill from the water seeping into his bones.

While resembling more like a drowned rat than a man, he stood near a favorite pub and tried to get just a few coins. Outright begging almost never garnished any wins, but he hoped a winning smile and an easy disposition would succeed far better. He would look to anyone heading into the place and if any caught his eye, he would give them a huge hopeful smile and tried to look like he was more than willing to sell his service of a good ear for some sweet spirits.

Nothing worked just yet and he almost considered if he could find someone who looked weak enough he could just jump them and pretend it was an accident while seeing if he could jostle free even enough for just one drink. There was only so much he could enjoy trying to sneak some communal wine and hope no one noticed. Another drop of water and they'd notice it was more pink than red.

Edmund would not be turning to drink unless it had been a genuinely terrible, irredeemable day.

It was doomed form the start with the storm.  Well, the real start was the nightmares that kept him up all night, and then it was the storm and hiding under the table in his hotel room like a child.  And then it was that the hotel stopped serving he and sis sister food, to prolong their stay.  Edmund didn't know how it worked, but he didn't argue.

He was too tired, and his head wouldn't stop for anything, and he just needed to not feel like himself for a while.

In his pockets was barely enough money to get a drink, maybe five - he hoped.  Edmund never really... bought drinks before.

Before, he'd just steal them from his father's stash, but that was no longer an option.

Looking quite pathetic as he walked down the street, Edmund glanced at each building in in their windows, trying to discern which might have the cheapest drinks when he spotted a friendly looking man on the street.  He gave every person that passed him a smile, and that was enough for Edmund to swallow his anxiety and approach him. 

Cautiously aware of how the man towered over him, Edmund greeted him with a small wave.  "Hello, um - pardon me, I'm trying to find a bar - or, a pub, I guess.  Would you mind directing me..?"

Francis turned to the man, was he a man? He looked more like a boy. He shrugged and slipped an arm around his shoulders. "Even better, I can take you there!" He gestured with a dramatic flourish only to walk into the door of the building he was standing next to.

"Seeing as how I am so kind to be your most trust worthy guide, how about you spare enough change for just one drink." He asked, giving him a pleading look and held up a finger. If he was lucky, he could get more. People were more willing to give if he asked for less than he wanted though.

"I won't even ask if you're really old enough to be buying drinks. Who cares as long as you have the money, right? And it's none of my business. I'm Francis.. I've never seen you before.. New to town?" He asked curiously as he still kept his arm around the guy to guide him to a seat at the bar.

Oh, oh dear.  This man was - very intent on being friendly, then.  Edmund tensed beneath the weight of his arm over his shoulder, but his legs still worked about to follow where he as lead, and lead he was.  Right through the door of the building the man was standing behind and right up to the bar.

How convenient.

"Um."  Lord, this man talked as much as his sister.  "I... I'll buy you a drink, fine.  My name is Edmund, and yes, I'm new."

He sat where Francis direction him to, and only a fumbled a little when getting into his seat.  Once he felt stable, he sat up straight; Francis didn't care how old he was, but others might, so he tried to look as much like a man as he felt.

In that moment, it was not very much.

"Here, you order," Edmund told the man, pulling out three or four coins and handing them over, praying they were enough.  "I'll have whatever you are."

Francis nodded quickly to Edmund. "Nice to meet you. You look like you are having a rough day, and the best cure is a drink."

What? He was trusting him to give him money? He hid the grin, instead smiling more and took the coins immediately before having a hand for attention to get their drinks. "Two of my usuals!" It was his favorite place to drink after all. He placed two coins and kept the other two close,for now. He ignored how the man gave him a look he was quite familiar with, but then the man looked at his new friend suspiciously.

"He just looks young. A baby face and all that." He said looking as innocent as he could to the man. After a few seconds, there was a large cup full of the cheapest ale before each of them. He immediately grabbed his and raised it. "To a better tomorrow, new friend. Drink up!" He said wanting to make their first drink more like a toast to lift the spirits in this guy.

"While you drink, you can tell me why you look so miserable. It's a good day. You had money for drinking and we didn't drown in the rain."

A baby face, Francis called him.  True as it might have been, the words poked sharply at Edmund's ego, but he did his best not to react.  When the bartender's eyes turned to him, Edmund started and abandoned another wave, settling for a short nod that finally earned them their drinks.

He didn't need to be told twice to drink up.  It almost looked like a contest of how much of the drink he could fit in his mouth at once, and no matter what Edmund lost.  The drink was sickly sweet, and was thick and tangy in a way his father's drinks never were.  It was nicer tasting, but not by much, and Edmund hated sweets.

"Is it so obvious on my face?" he asked Francis, still cringing from the taste in his mouth.  He shrugged.  "Good day for you maybe, but I've had a hard one."

Hard day, hard week, hard life.  But it was all the same, wasn't it?

"I don't like storms, and... I haven't been sleeping well lately.  And I'm spending the last of this weeks earnings on drinks instead of food, but."  Edmund lifted his glass again, like Francis had a moment before.  "It'll be worth it, yeah?  How about you, though?  What's brought you here?"

Francis enjoyed his drink and then glanced over. "We're you trying to hide it? Yeah. You look like a miserable man just trying to survive another day!"

He cleared a third of his mug in a couple of swallows before resting it on the bar so it wouldn't be gone too fast and gave a satisfied sigh.

"Yeah? I like storms but then I get sick from them sometimes. They remind me of nice times. Sorry you hadn't slept well. Maybe your worries are keeping you up. Hopefully a lot of drinking will help."

He gave him a smile. "You're on your way. I was once worried about things like where my next meal was coming from and the future. Now I have no worries at all." He downed more of his drink.

Edmund could understand why some people liked storms.  He probably would have, if not for the lifetime of memories he associated with them.  But like Francis said, drinking would help, and he took another large sip, and then another.

This man really liked to smile.  Was Edmund the weird one, or was Francis?  He was such a poor judge of those things.

"What did you do, to get where you are now?" the boy inquired.  Perhaps if Francis could impart some wisdom on him, he'd reach this wonderful place Francis was sooner, and he'd worry less.

Already, the ale was taking it's hold on Edmund.  He was so thin, and he hated it most times, but right now it let him get woozier much faster than he would have if he was much bigger.  Eager to cast all sense of thoughts aside, he drank some more, halfway through the massive glass.

Francis glanced over at the man from his drink. "Lost everything, gave up, and lost any shame. It makes life way easier. I am hungry but I usually can find something to eat and some place to rest my head. When there's nothing tying you down, things get so much easier. It might not work for a guy like you though."

He noticed him get woozy and shrugged ordering another glass for the both of them but this time something a bit weaker. He didn't think this other guy could handle it but social drinking was the best.

"You can always talk. My best skill is my hearing." He said as he still worked on his first drink before sliding over the other two coins to the bartender. If the guy beside him passed out, he'd find a shelter for him out of kindness for the drinks. "But I have plenty of other skills." He winked to the other man teasingly when the bartender wasn't looking.

Francis was right about one thing - losing everything would not work out for Edmund.  What all did he even have?  Already, his list of possessions was so lacking.

He watched the other two coins he had given Francis be passed over, considering his words.  Talk?  What would he talk about?  What did that wink mean?

Edmund felt so out of his element.

"Talk..?  I - well, what do you want to hear about?  I'm not very... wordy."  Edmund rushed to finish his glass when the bartender brought around another for them, and very quickly regretted it.  He'd go slower on this next one then...