"I'm going out for dinner," I tell Aster as I get dressed. "So why don't you find something for yourself? Make sure you don't steal from someone, though."

It wouldn't be a hassle to cook for myself but my estimates on time were off and it's already past seven in the evening. After spending all day apart from lunch doing work in the Mythic Forest, I want to have someone else cook for me and I know a few places which provides both that and socialization.

"Woof?"

"I don't know when I'll be back," I tell him. "It'll depend on whether or not I hook up with someone. If I don't, I'll probably be back by ten. If I do, it might not be until two or three in the morning."

Aster just tilts his head in confusion a little more. I finish dressing, then check myself in the mirror on the back of my closet door. Khakis, with a light blue shirt left unbuttoned over a dark blue t-shirt. It looks good, especially with my own lilac-colored eyes.

"Chances are good I'll be back late," I inform Aster, then grab my old phone from where I'd stored it and check the battery, then take it to the living room and plug it in, the pup following me. "I'm sure you can at least read our numbers, right?"

Aster nods.

"Alright," I say. "Push this button here and the screen will turn on like this. See? It shows you the time. If you get curious about what time it is and how much longer it'll be before I get back, you can check this. Keep it plugged in, though."

If he doesn't go off and do his own thing, he might keep turning the screen on to check the time in boredom. Just in case he decides to stick around, I also pull out the tome with information about the Celestials and set it down.

"Here's this as well," I tell him. "Don't damage it or you'll make Ryan upset and he won't get you anymore varyihn beef, alright?"

"Woof!"

While he can get his own minotaur meat, threatening to not give him any works.

I slip on my shoes, then let Aster know I'm heading out. I make sure to lock the door behind me, then get into my truck and drive to the streets with clubs and bars I sometimes hang out at. Sometimes for hookups, sometimes because the food is actually pretty good. The one I pick for this evening is Starry Iris.

Upon arriving, I park in the lot and make my way to the dark-blue building, where a line of young men wait for entry. With this district having several academies and universities, there are a variety of clubs and bars catering to various related demographics. This one caters mostly to college-aged guys into other guys, though not everyone in line is going to be gay or bi. Some are probably straight, and I know the bouncer has a wife and two kids.

Rather than entering the line and waiting for them, I walk straight up to the bouncer, a muscular guy in his late twenties. His dark brown hair is just barely long enough to show off its wave, the bouncer watching the line with silver eyes. This is a job he does for a little bit of extra income, but he's an Awakened hunter as his main job.

Just in case of a problem, many of the bars and clubs in this area hire strong Awakened as security. It can be necessary when some of the visitors are Awakened, even if most don't get physical. The odds of someone being infected with the dark infection, or an ordinary person trying to pick a fight with an Awakened, are just barely high enough to warrant extra security.

"Hey, Jared," I greet the bouncer.

"Hey, Evan," he says. "No queue for VIPs right now, so you can go on in."

"VIP?" The first guy in line asks.

I look to the questioning man. He looks to be around eighteen, maybe nineteen, so only a year or two younger than me. There's a small possibility he's younger, but he'll get turned away if he is and tries to enter. His hair is a deep purple, while his eyes share a similar silver to Jared's. His current outfit consists of jeans and a faded blue tee with a grey collar for the top.

Most people who come here either dress up a little bit more or go shirtless, but he won't get turned down for the outfit as there are definitely some guys who'll want to chat with him. He's above-average in looks, though he also looks rather nervous.

If I'm right, this is probably his first time at a place like this. Some of the clubs like the Starry Iris have VIP lists which exempt members from waiting in line if there are still VIP vacancies open, and it also exempts them from the cover charge.

"I'm an alchemist who produces potions which neutralize toxins such as alcohol," I inform the purple-haired man. "The Starry Iris is one of my customers. They buy them and resell them to their own customers who want or need a dose. Makes it so the designated driver can still drink, just so long as they make sure to buy and down one of those potions before they get into their car, if they didn't bring their own."

The dose for the sobering potion is an ounce and I can brew up a hundred gallons in a batch if I want to. It's relatively low-cost compared to normal poison-curing potions, too, and I don't try to make too much of a profit on it so it mostly just covers its own costs with a tiny bit extra. Not enough to make a difference for my shop.

A club this size might go through a gallon in a day or two depending on how many people actually want to sober up before leaving and usually orders enough for a month at a time. I do those at the start of the month unless I need to brew up a smaller batch sooner if one of my customers had a higher-than-average number of people purchasing it.

Even if the Dungeon Drought lasts longer than I'm expecting it to, I should be fine for getting reagents for those. If all else fails, I can probably brew something up using reagents from the Mythic Forest.

"We put him on the VIP list for it," Jared tells the younger man as a few guys leave. "He charges a better rate than most and is much closer than many of them. Since he's so reliable and is a regular customer, we decided he deserved extra permissions. You can head on in, Evan. And you as well, sir. Let me just check your ID and get the cover, and you can enter."

I enter the club as Jared deals with the newcomer.

It's not a massive club by any means but has a decent capacity. They can hold up to three hundred people by the fire code but usually limit it to around two hundred to two hundred and fifty outside of special occasions. Most of the lighting is blue with some purple and less green.

There are three bars, two dance floors, and two areas with booth seating at tables in addition to several smaller round tables with stools. The club's pretty full right now despite it being only a Tuesday evening. Most of the guys here are probably students at the hunters' academy, as they're more likely to go clubbing and get drunk on weekdays than normal college students.

A decent number of them took off their shirts after entering, though they aren't the majority. Some of them probably came in without their shirts on, which is how Nick likes to show up to this club. I don't see him here right now but that's not surprising. He doesn't go to clubs even if it's just for food and socialization the night before a mission even though he knows he'll be fine in the morning and he's mentioned getting asked for a mission tomorrow.

Not the same one that Wyatt, Kelsey, and Adam are going on so I'm not sure what he's doing, but that's enough for me to have not expected to see him.

As I check out the crowd, the nervous guy from outside enters and immediately starts fidgeting as he looks around.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Which is the reason I didn't just go straight to a bar and get a drink. Our brief interaction was enough for me to know that he'd need some help relaxing before he could enjoy his night here.

"First time in a club?" I ask.

"Yeah," he jumps, apparently not realizing I was right beside him. "I'm old enough, it's just… I don't-I'm not looking for a hookup. I just wanted to go to a club."

So that's why he's nervous. He wouldn't be the first and won't be the last to be in that situation.

"No worries," I chuckle and beckon for him to step away from the entrance "Many of the guys here may have had that at some point. I came because the food is good and there's always someone to chat with. For me, if something happens then it happens.

"As a heads-up," I say. "You're pretty attractive and so will get some guys coming up to you, but being clearly nervous will actually prevent most from doing so. If you relax and calm down, something to remember is that if someone comes up and chats, they may just want to chat. If someone asks for something more than chatting… just tell them you're not looking. The club's pretty strict about boundaries so if someone pushes after you say 'no', you can tell any staff member and they'll handle it."

They won't just act on claims alone, but they'll generally keep an eye out for further incidents. Staff members who notice the pushing will step in even if no signal is given.

"A-alright," he says.

"My name's Evan, by the way," I tell him.

"Dashiel," he says. "So you're a regular here?"

"Yeah," I beckon for him to follow. "Let's go to the bar and get something. Protip: don't eat or drink anything you've had your eyes off of. If you turn in your seat to talk to the person next to you, move your drink with you to keep it in sight. It's very easy for someone to slip something in without being noticed and this helps avoid that. This place doesn't have an issue with that so you don't need to worry, but it's still good practice. And that potion we talked about? I'd recommend buying a dose of it if you start feeling drunk. Drowsiness, loss of coordination, foggy brain, and such are all things someone might feel with alcohol consumption, depending on themselves and the drinks they're taking in. Nausea, headaches, and weakness are also things to mind and get the dose for."

"How come?" He asks.

"You're new to this setting," I say. "And I get the feeling you're not used to alcohol, either. It'll make sure you stay safe."

Those are also symptoms someone might feel if they've been drugged, and the potion I brew up here actually includes a neutralizer for that as well. I wasn't lying when I said it's not a concern at this particular club, but it's something to get into a habit of at any.

Most stop once they know their limits or know the difference between feeling drunk for them and something else. The staff here at the Starry Iris will also slip a dose of it into a mix they serve someone for free on the rare occasion they suspect someone's been drugged.

"And if you ever feel unsafe here," the bartender tells us, as we reached it just as I finished speaking. "Just let one of the staff know. Our bouncers are all trustworthy and will make sure nothing bad happens."

The bartender looks our age but I've heard that he's worked here for almost six years now so he's most likely one of those guys who stays looking young for quite a long time. His hair looks as if spun of pure gold, his eyes the gentle but strong purple of irises. As usual, he's dressed in brown pants and a gold-colored shirt, which has the logo of the club on his left breast, a purple iris with stars on its petals.

"Hey, Griff!" I greet him. "Dashiel, this is Griffin. He owns the club and while he's not officially registered as an Awakened… he's widely regarded as far more scary than any of his bouncers."

Nobody really knows what Rank or Level he is, but he's used magic to blind people who misbehaved a little too much.

Permanently blinded them with a targeted spell which affected no one else.

"Nice to meet you, Dashiel," Griffin greets the newcomer. "Know what you want, or want some help deciding?"

"I'm not really familiar with drinks," Dashiel tells me. "I mean, I know there are a lot of different types, I just… don't know them?"

"Alright," Griffin chuckles. "Mind if I mix up Evan's real quick?"

"Go ahead," Dashiel says.

"Something with peach," I tell Griffin.

Griffin gets to work, quickly mixing up a glass of something, which he then hands to me.

"No pay?" Dashiel asks as I take a sip. "I thought you're supposed to pay before getting the drinks…"

"Normally, yes," Griffin says. "You give us your card and we hold onto it while you're here, then charge you the total bill for you visit at the end. Or you pay each individual time by card or cash. Evan's trusted enough that we'll just open a tab for him and he pays at the end."

Dashiel suddenly looks a lot more nervous.

"A-are you a celebrity or something?" He asks.

"No!" I laugh, as does Griffin. "I'm just well-known in the magic crafting community for some of my talents, but also work as a scavenger and a guide for newbie Awakened when it comes to potions."

"Oh," he says. "Wait. Evan as in Evan Rethe? That's you?"

"So you've heard of me?" I ask as Griffin laughs and starts mixing up a drink for someone else.

"I've heard about your shop," Dashiel says. "That you've got good prices on potions for beginners and usually give good advice. Also that you're the only Dungeon Baby whose parents were never located."

"Also true," I say. "You at the academy or university?"

This is just me assuming he's in training in case he becomes Awakened. The high school for those doing it is referred to as an academy, and he'll probably say what he's going for in university if he's not hoping to be a hunter.

"Academy," he answers. "Oh, but we don't have classes tomorrow, so I'm not going to get screwed by drinking tonight. And I am eighteen. I'll be nineteen in September. My birthday's right after the cutoff so I'm almost a year older than a lot of my classmates."

The full explanation probably comes from his nerves.

"No school tomorrow?" I ask.

"A hunters' holiday," Griffin tells me. "Celebrated by their schools but not much else. And Dashiel? Some of the guys who come here are famous in various communities. Nick Sugam is a regular here, for example. If you're nervous about meeting celebs, this might not be the best place to be."

Nick is a top-notch tracker, partially because he's Rank 5. That's earned him a decent amount of fame among local hunters. Most Rank 5s do end up famous within their communities and potentially in larger areas such as city-wide.

This whole strip of clubs and bars is frequented by Rank 4s and Rank 5s. It's a place they're naturally drawn to on top of being a place catering to the college crowd. If someone's nervous about meeting famous people, this is definitely a place they should avoid.

"They're all pretty chill," I tell Dashiel. "I'm sure you've heard the theory that a good personality is likely a requirement to Awaken at Rank 4 or 5."

"I have," he confirms. "Doesn't stop me from feeling intimidated at times. And you feel like you'd be someone… superior. So do you."

He looks at Griffin.

"I kind of am," Griffin flashes him a grin. "I bet you feel that way about folks with orange eyes, too, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"That's a rare trait," Griffin tells him. "But considering you have an affinity for [Cosmic Mage], I'm not surprised."

"I have what?" Dashiel looks confused as I raise an eyebrow at Griffin. "Isn't that something only Rank 5s have ever been known to have?"

"Who knows, maybe you'll Awaken and find yourself a Rank 5," Griffin tells him. "I can sense magical power in others to some degree, and even their affinities for magic. The magics relating to [Cosmic Mage] are all there so if you don't Awaken with it, that'd be a surprise."

Griffin being able to sense that is news to me and I consider us good friends. I'm not offended by him not sharing that with me, though, as we all have our preferences for what others know about us.

"Let me fix you up something," Griffin says. "On the house for this one."

Griffin gets to work and quickly has a glass of something golden-orange in color that he's setting in front of Dashiel. The newbie takes a sip of it and nods.

"This is good," he says.

"It's the Triple Griffin Blast," Griffin informs him. "If you want another, just let any of the servers or bartenders know. Since you're new to drinking, let me give you a little advice: make sure to eat food as well, and get at least one nonalcoholic drink in every now and then. That'll reduce the effects of the drinks both now and in the morning without the sobering potion."

"Thanks," Dashiel says.

"Good luck out there," I tell him. "Don't be too afraid to approach others if you want to try and strike up a conversation, it's fine to dance if you want to, and remember what I said about drinks."

"Will do," Dashiel says. "Thanks."

Dashiel walks off, and I look back to Griffin.

"That was a Single Griffin Blast, wasn't it?"

"Don't worry," he says. "He'll only get charged for that if he orders more. The others will definitely notice his nerves and just give him the singles. Probably tell him that, too. Triples will be for if he becomes a regular and gets more comfortable and used to drinking. You looking for action tonight or socializing?"

"Socializing and dinner," I tell him. "Action if it's offered and they're agreeable, but won't go looking. Am actually a bit tired today."

"Heard you're dating now," he takes my glass from me, as it's now empty, and starts fixing another drink. "Ryan Sekirts, right?"

"Nick blabbed?"

"Nick blabbed."

"Of course," I snort. "And yeah, but we're not exclusive yet. Still in the figuring-out-if-we're-good-together phase."

"I'm sure you'll go exclusive soon," he says. "Want to place your food order here, or going to find a table first?"

"I'll find a table first," I tell him. "Socializing's always easier if I do that."