Working as a bartender, life becomes a collection of little scenes. I never get to see the entire play but I'm treated to a profusion of little vignettes that only have meaning to the collector of oddities.

I kept Duelist's Glove open through the coronation celebration, although some of my peers chose to close their establishments down in honor of the new Crown Princess. That's what they all said to each other, but everybody knew that the free alcohol at the palace was far more attractive than their sorry dumps.

Duelist's Glove wasn't a dump, though, at least not judging from my clientele. It'd taken a while and several carefully painted signs, but by the celebration I had exactly the customer base I wanted: a few ambitious criminals, a few slumming courtiers and a healthy serving of swaggering, sword-carrying duelists. They had money sometimes, and they definitely attracted other people with money, and that was why I kept the bar open during the celebration.

And you know what? That turned out to be a sound move on my part. Slumming nobles need someplace to go, after all. And that night, along regulars in the form of Ruby and Kyan Touraine in one corner and Fabian and his cronies in another, I had a crowded table full of laughing courtiers. They didn't seem too rich at first, but I get the strangest patrons in the Duelist's Glove, and I had hope. I recognized the redheaded Komaru and her friend with the sword. She was flirty and attractive, and she'd once stood on a table and broken a plate over Fabian's head in a brawl. Her companion had the coloring of a Yuasa and carried a sword, but I couldn't remember his name and I didn't think he'd been in any real duels. The four others, I didn't know at all.

Zoe Komaru was getting drunk. Sana Komaru, her distant cousin, had wedged her chair against the wall between Zoe and Lorien Yuasa, and had been nursing a glass of wine all evening; she was only now starting her second. Lorien sat behind his tumbler of that terrible liquor aurin, glowering at Vincent across the table. Keiji Sone was wedged close to Vincent on one side, and Malena Minamet carefully maintained her personal space on the other side.

She fluttered her eyelashes at Vincent, who blew her a kiss and then narrowed his eyes at Sana's smirk. "Sana, why are you slumming with us? Aren't you supposed to be dancing at court with the rest of your friends?" Vincent could be such an ass, Zoe observed to herself.

Sana chuckled softly. "I'm a writer. Besides, my sister is the one on your mind, I think. There's no need for me to whirl the night away when she's up there having enough fun for both of us."

Keiji grumbled, "Nobody's really having fun up there. They're just craning to see if the Crown Princess will opt to officially change all children's bedtimes." He lifted his goblet of wine and peered at it morosely. "This is grim. I wouldn't be up there in the middle of a crowd of painted posies trying to pretend they're happy for half the kingdom."

Lorien's eyes flicked to Keiji and lingered there for a moment. Zoe smiled quietly to herself. Malena said, "I don't think the Regent will put up with any nonsense from her daughter just because her daughter's wearing a crown now. The way I heard it, she didn't put up with any nonsense from her husband, either."

Sana laughed. "We're ruled by a mother, then. I suppose there could be worse choices."

Vincent nuzzled Keiji's hair and Lorien's lips tightened before he covered his expression with a gulp of aurin. Then Vincent shrugged. "She's a Sone. I think that balances out any virtues a mother might have."

Keiji leaned his head against Vincent's arm and sighed. "Is she like any Sone you've seen before? Like Arabelle, like Sidonie, even like me? She's the despair of every flamboyant Sone everywhere. She's responsible and sober and mostly honorable." He took one of his gloves off and flicked the edges across the table. "Really, what's the point of angling to put a Sone close to the throne if she's going to act like a Komaru?" He mouthed the words as if he were bored by them and glanced up at Vincent and then down again quickly.

Zoe quirked her lips up. "Why, thank you, Keiji. My brother despairs that I'll ever become sober and responsible. I'll be sure to pass your opinion along.." She glanced across the room at the Touraine duelists drinking in a corner, and then nudged Sana. "You could do it now."

Lorien yanked his gaze away from Keiji and Vincent and said sharply, "Do what?"

Sana rolled her eyes and Zoe grinned. "Sana was talking about threatening Midoko's fiance with a duelist. Apparently they're not getting along terribly well."

"It was going to be a threat, Zoe. I'm scarcely going to arrange to have Yukashii Sone's son murdered, or Midoko's new husband injured. You're too bloodthirsty." Sana shoved at Zoe with one hand. "Let me out, I need to find the privies."

Zoe squeezed against the wall as Sana slid over her, sighed regretfully and then sighed again as Sana gave her a tolerant and amused smile at the first sigh. Sana occasionally graced some of Zoe's parties, but she never really let herself go, as much as Zoe teased her. She called, "Don't get into trouble!" after Sana.

Vincent laughed loudly. "Oh, don't worry. Lorien's been dying for a chance to show off his sword, right, Lorien?" Since he couldn't reach Lorien easily, he slapped Malena's shoulder instead. She turned a cold gaze on him.

"You're drunk, Vincent." Malena's voice was just as cold as her gaze. Zoe suspected Malena worked hard to maintain her faint mountain accent; otherwise, people might think she was a Komaru.

"So are you, Mal!" Vincent's sudden rush of good cheer wasn't at all diminished by Malena's scorn. "You're practically glowing. It's so charming. No, don't turn away." He sent a mock pout at the back of her head and then tilted his chair back onto two legs. "Zoe, sweetheart, why are you flirting with the duelists? I'm so much better for you."

Keiji scowled furiously, and Lorien staggered to his feet to go fetch himself some more alcohol; Malena stood to join him. Zoe leaned forward and smiled sweetly at Vincent. "You're about as interesting to me as my brother's dirty socks, Vincent. No offense."

Vincent said airily, "None taken. How is the old fellow, anyhow?" He tipped his chair forward again and pulled the scowling Keiji close to him.

Zoe frowned at Vincent. "Deeply involved in Aimee's life." She tucked a red strand of hair behind her ear. "Keiji, didn't you say you were writing a poem for the coronation? What happened?"

Keiji growled under his breath. "It's not fit for the mood of court right now. They want to celebrate, my poem wants to cry. I'll save it for a more appropriate occasion."

Zoe sat back. At the bar, Sana had returned and was talking quietly to Malena and Lorien. She looked away from them at Keiji in sudden surprise. "You really are depressed about all of this, aren't you? How come?"

Keiji gave her an unpleasant look. "We won a war, supposedly. Alessandro died killing a monster. You think everything's going to be happy and pleasant right after the war? Maybe for a few days, and then they'll start fighting over the spoils. This is a really bad time to have a little child sitting on the throne, and Kimiko-sama isn't ruthless enough to put up with managing the court and the Komaru, let alone the rest of the jackals who will be panting for scraps from the Pharaoh's larder." He shook his head. "I'll show you my poem. It makes more sense."

Vincent narrowed his eyes at Keiji. "You won't show me your poem." When Keiji said things like that, it was petulant and charming, but Zoe disliked the aggressive demand in Vincent's voice. Keiji flinched and was distracted from a response by Lorien setting a tray down in the center of the table.

"Drinks are on Sana," he said quietly, and let that lady in to her seat before settling down himself. He had something clear now. Sana took her glass of wine into possession again and Malena had a new goblet of red wine. For the others, there was a tiny glass of pale blue liquor beside a larger glass mug of milk.

Zoe blew her breath out in a squeak. "I didn't know this bar had aoi. How did you know, Sana? You've never been here before!" She tugged a mug towards herself and gently lifted one of the tiny glasses of liquor to her mouth, where she lapped up a tiny sip of the liquid with her tongue. Her head was already thoroughly buzzing, but the blue aoi melted on her tongue. She followed quickly with a gulp of milk and sat back with a contented sigh as the warmth spread through her body. Keiji and Vincent followed suit, and for a moment there was a peaceful silence at the table. Then Zoe leaned across Sana to sniff at Lorien's drink. "Water already? It's early."

Lorien shrugged. "We're also in a duelist's bar." His eyes, though, flicked to Vincent. Zoe sighed and leaned her head on Sana's shoulder.

Sana whispered in her ear, "I've told him that's the wrong approach, but he's not a very rational student in this situation."

Zoe raised her head, took another combined sip of aoi and milk, and then threw her arms exuberantly around her friend. She was too forward, and encouraged too much of that in others, but it made her as fascinating as a Sone, and it was the only thing about her that grabbed attention. "Thank you for the drink, Sana-chan! It's wonderful! Gahariet never buys us this!" While hugging her friend, she whispered, "I don't want them fighting tonight. It would go badly for Lorien in the end." Then she sat back and beamed around the table, aware of the ruddy flush in her cheeks. "I think we should go see what's happening closer to the palace soon, though. Sana has just told me that if we don't get her out of here soon, she'll throw herself at Ruby Touraine and offer her virtue in exchange for his sword."

Keiji almost snorted up aoi at the very ludicrousness of the suggestion. "Not until we finish the drinks, please? I'd rather go home before I visit that festival, and I don't want to stay here drinking all alone."

Airily, Zoe said, "Oh, I'm sure that Vincent wouldn't leave you alone, would you, Vincent?"

Sana suggested, "We could escort our poet home." Beside her, Lorien started to say something but shut his mouth suddenly, and Zoe was certain Sana or Malena had kicked him.

Vincent looked puzzled, but his gaze was turned mostly inward as the aoi seeped into his blood. "Whatever you want to do, Zoe. I wasn't attached to coming to this place in the first place..." he turned his head over his shoulder to look first at the Touraine brothers and then at Fabian. "Although it certainly has nice scenery."

Zoe merely smiled her secret smile down into her aoi. She took tiny tastes of it and big gulps of milk while her companions took rather bigger sips of the alcohol, until Keiji's head thudded onto the table.

"I'm sleepy," he moaned. "Please take me home, Vincent..." Lorien sidled out of his chair, but Malena was faster-and more sober-than he was; she put her shoulder under Keiji and heaved him to his feet. On his other side, Vincent knocked his chair over as he stood up.

"I can handle him," he insisted. "I can. Here. Let me take him."

Malena shook her head. "You take his other side. Nobody's collapsing in a gutter tonight."

Zoe also slid out of her chair, feeling refreshed and invigorated, although still quite drunk. She skipped lightly, almost fell, and laughed as she leaned against a chair for balance. "Lorien, come help me, please? Walking will sober me up, and then there'll be more at the palace!" She grinned up into his dark eyes and with a tired, frustrated sigh, he came to take her arm.

Thus, leaning on each other, the celebrants left Duelist's Glove.

I'd been sitting on that aoi for more time than I cared to admit, and if you'd asked me at the beginning of the night if I expected to move it that evening, I would have laughed. It's not for casual drinkers.

Only the Yuasa has come back to the bar since then, and only once. I don't know what's happened to the little poet boy, or the writer who didn't drink a sip of the expensive alcohol she paid for. Scenes in a play, every night.