Sagus and Marianne's

They chuckled as they tried to speak at the same time, then suggested the other go first a few times. Sagus finally took the initiative.

"This place is very white, isn't it?"

Marianne giggled. "Blindingly. It's almost like being stuck in a white tar pit." Sagus laughed. "It could be snowing in here and you'd never notice." This made Sagus throw his head back and laugh loud. Some of the snobbier customers gave him looks.

"Oh, man. It's been awhile since you've told any jokes. I remember when you first joined up with me you used to tell them all the time."

"I remember that, too. You were a funny man yourself, before you got so focused on saving the world and avenging...the wrong-doings." She stopped herself from mentioning what happened in Sagus' home village and ruining the light mood.

"Hey, I'm still funny. I just have to deal with a lot more less-than-funny things now then I used to."

A waiter came to the table and presented them with a bottle of chilled wine.

"We didn't order any wine."

"From the two lovely young ladies at table 17, madam." Sagus and Marianne looked around, not knowing where table 17 was. They found Sophie waving and smiling, which they assumed meant it was from them. They accepted it with shrugs and let the waiter fill their glasses.

"To a successful quest, and the downfall of Arakarin," Sagus toasted.

"Cheers." Glasses clinked and were emptied. And again. And again. And again.
Soon, Sagus found himself tipsy, while Marianne probably couldn't have found herself at all. She looked at him like he was a creature of pure joy and grinned.

"Saaa-gussss. D'you like me, Saaaa-gusss?"

"Like y-...Wha...I....uh...H-how j'you mean?"

"You know what I mean! Do. Yyyyyyooouuu...like me?"

Sagus swallowed another mouthful of wine. He had always known this question was coming. He was just glad they were both intoxicated when it did. He decided, with the wine's blessing and insistence, to go for broke.

"'f I was gonna marry any a' you girls....you, Sophie or'R'becca, i'd wanna marry you."

"Wow!"

"'Wow'?"

"Yeah. I thought you'd dodge the question, but'chu just came right out and answered! I mean, basic'ly. This calls for a toast!" She filled their glasses. "To us both being the one of our con...com...compan...comp....onions." She giggled heartily, as the word tried to slip out like a panicked fish from a bear's paw. "To us both being the one of our onions we'd both most wanna marry!" They drank.