Young Writers Society

"Oh." I said, quietly. It seemed that I had overreacted, just a little. I composed myself, took a handkerchief from my pocket, wiped my face, and went to put my bloody shirt back on.

"Alas, I will have to turn down your boundless generosity," I said to Kartiel, with only light hints of sarcasm and contempt.

Having traded the disreputable look of semi-nakedness with the possibly less reputable look of heavy bloodstains, I tried to approach Raiden in an unthreatening manner.

"Sorry I overreacted." I said, gently.
You're lucky that was the case, you lout. I thought, quietly.

Nodding, Aegeas sighed. "I need to clean up," he said, peering down at his bloodstained clothes. "Hopefully that's it for excitement today."

"It's alright," Bo said, following Boris back to the others. "I'm just glad we're all back in our clone bodies that we're used to."

After a relatively short walk from the library to the infirmary, the group was finally reunited again - Nadira and Maahes had spent the entirety of the walk eagerly chatting with each other about their respective identities. Codix had just watched happily from the sidelines, and tried his best not to make eye contact with Aegeas. Once they arrived at the infirmary, it became apparent that Kartiel had had enough time to properly tend to his wounds, and was waiting for them by the door when they arrived.

As of this morning, we had woken in this wretched city, fought, captured, and lost Kartiel, discovered our clones, discovered that we resided in clones, marched to our would-be deaths, fought off vicious vampiric creatures of supernatural durability, had our bodies switched, and upon that note, my face still hurt. I'd had quite enough for one day.

"I'm off to the kitchen for a drink.'' I told the others. "Anyone who wishes to join me, please, please do.

Oh, just to clarify, Kartiel, you're invited too. Make no mistake, I despise you thoroughly, and fully intend to commit acts of violence against your person in the near future," I said wistfully, "But you kept your word. You fought with us.
For that, I will gladly let bygones be bygones, for the remainder of the evening."

And with that I made haste to the kitchen, humming merrily all the way.

Aegeas immediately followed Boris to the kitchen. He knew that everyone was looking away from him. Everyone was trying to avoid him. It wasn't hard to guess why. Might as well make it easier for them.

He peeled off his blood-covered shirt and tried to wipe his face off with it. Unfortunately, he didn't have much luck - he only smeared more blood across both. "What kinds of drinks do you think would be in another world?" Aegeas said to Boris, while scowling down at his shirt. "I could go with a few right now."

"I'vent the foggiest. But I'll try anything we find." I told Aegeas.

Whoever stocked this kitchen had the good sense not store their liquor in the obvious places, not in the front of the cupboards, nor in the back. Fortunately, I was an expert in hiding liquor, and consequently, an expert in finding it.

I searched for irregularities in the floor, the walls, and the inside of the pantry. Lo and behold, there was a false backing in it. I slid aside the cover, and found a sizable supply of large bottles, filled with what I could only pray was alcoholic. To my delight and relief, it was.

I selected several bottles and placed them on the table, and fetched some glasses.

"Aegeas, my friend, why don't you choose which one we try first?"

Bo wasn't really in the mood to drink, oddly enough, so he hung back with the... younger folk, who probably shouldn't drink anyway. He looked at Codix and Nadira with a smile to welcome them back.

"Hey, you guys okay?"

Raiden, as silently as possible, snuck off to follow Boris and Aegeas to make sure they didn't get too drunk.

Kartiel slipped out of the room immediately after the Raiden, though his destination wasn't all that clear to Nadira. She doubted he'd want to hang out with the other people heading to the alcohol, but, on the other hand, he probably needed the alcohol.

"I'm doing okay," Nadira answered, turning her attention back to Bo. "Especially now that I'm in my body again."

Codix was in the middle of doing a stretch when he answered; he was clearly happy to be back to normal. "Same here!"


Maahes watched everyone depart from the room, and listened to the few that lingered in the room - Codix, Nadira and Bo. Despite having had a few enjoyable conversations with them, he knew that he wasn't quite like the rest of them. He couldn't even share the confusion over their arrival there. He had come through a malfunctioning wormhole, not by having his soul put into a clone body that an actual god had made.

He wished Vala was here. Or Cam. Or Sam. Or Teal'c. Or Daniel. He wished any of them were here, because they would have been in the same boat he was and have wanted to talk with him. He was just the awkward addition to the little group that Kartiel had formed.

He started to head towards the door. He couldn't drink. He could try to, but it'd never be the same sort of experience that the others had. His essence wouldn't be able to stand the introduction of something not from the Other Place. He'd go to the library. That was a good plan. He'd go to the library, and read through their books detailing the usage of stargates. He would likely find something to help him there.

(Even if going there would be more than a little lonely.)

Aegeas peered at the bottles spread out across the table. He guessed they were all likely strong; whoever had put this much effort into hiding them wouldn't have wanted to waste it on weak stuff. And he had to give credit to Boris for finding them, because he never would have been able to find the cover the bottles had been set behind.

"This one," Aegeas said at last, tapping one of the bottles. "It looks like the strongest. My hands are kind of covered in blood, so if you'd pour the drinks, that'd be nice."

Though he had left after Raiden, Kartiel still managed to get to the kitchen before him. After all, this was his city. He knew the layout better than even Maahes, and was easily able to use to all of the shortcuts and hidden passages to arrive there far faster than him.

And when he arrived, he was more than a little irritated to find that they had discovered where he had been hiding his wine. He only grew more irritated when he saw that - whether by luck or by deliberate decision - they had found the bottles he had been waiting for the perfect occasion to use. His lips turned down into a frown, and he strode into the kitchen right towards the two.

"Don't you dare drink those," he said, already beginning to think of a spell that would easily return the bottles to their rightful place. "They cost me a fortune, and I'm not having you two waste them."

"I'd have gladly brought some of my own, if you hadn't abducted me on such short notice," I said, filling three glasses for myself, Aegeas, and our host.

"Wash your hands in the sink over there, Aegeas, we don't want you losing your grip on the cup." I said, and turned back to Kartiel. I gave him a condescending smile.

"I'd happily buy you a drink, but alas, I only have currency from my native city. You'd have to send me home. Such a pity, I really would love to return your... hospitality." I teased.

"I just need one shot," Aegeas said, grabbing the glass to the right and raising it with claw-like fingernails. He turned to Kartiel, a smile on his face. "Consider it wasted."

Downing the glass in one gulp and setting it back on the table, Aegeas watched Kartiel's response closely.

Kartiel took a deep breath.

Then he completely ignored the glass that Boris had poured from him, instead opting to grab onto the bottle that Boris had been holding only seconds earlier, and taking one very, very long chug from it because God did he need a drink right now.