Ace in the Hole [Finished]

[Teagan]

Having finished packing her things for the trip to Portland, Teagan quietly flew down the stairs and into the bar area. One last thing needed to be done.

"Hey Deacon? I wanted to thank you for-" Teagan paused as she realized the elder Rook brother and Aiden seemed to be engaged in an intense conversation. Whoops. "Woah, didn't mean to interrupt." She took a seat on one of the barstools. "Don't stop on my account."

With great interest she listened as Deacon described the boundaries of the deal. Seemed fair, although Teagan knew a side of the man she was sure Aiden wasn't privy to. Hmm. Aiden didn't seem to trust Deacon's offer as valid, and Teagan noted the caution he eyed the drink in front of him with. Interesting.

A moment's consideration led her to two conclusions: First, she knew for a fact there was fine print somewhere in the the offer neither of the teens had noticed. Secondly, she still harbored the secret grudge against Aiden from earlier (although he had no idea) and whatever Deacon was up to, as a spiritual kin , it was her duty to assist.

"Of course he's up to it!" Teagan rolled her eyes, as if astounded Deacon was not aware of Aiden's awesomeness. Blah. "He's a faction leader now. Stuff like this is nothing." She turned to him and gave a confident look. "Don't let him get the best of you Aiden. You can handle it. In the meantime," she peered across the room. "I'm going to find out why Art is trying to hide behind the curtains."

Not that he was literally, of course. But her curiosity over Art's defeated figure and the obvious need to leave the conversation if Aiden was going to believe her sincerity drove her out of her seat and across the room. She wouldn't miss the outcome of the challenge from the sidelines...and Art's face still looked flushed from something.

[Aiden]

Honestly? Did this guy really think that Aiden was that stupid? If it wasn't rotten alcohol, it was some chemical agent that was going to make him vomit, like Epicac. Or some instant laxitive or something. Aiden knew what this guy was playing at, and he wasn't going to fall for it. If he was going to win the right to drink in the bar, he sure as hell wasn't going to play some rigged game. "Identify everything you put in it--no laxitives, no diarhettics, or anything that will cause me to vomit, pass out, cry, twitch, any of the like. I'm not stupid." Behind them, Teagan entered the room, but Aiden didn't turn to look at her; if this challenge was fair, then he needed to focus solely on it. Who cared about the girl?

Oh, he was so going to kill her when no one was around. He shot a glare in her direction, and turned back to Deacon. Apparently he was going to do this now, not knowing what was in the glass. Aiden held it up to the light, examining the contents as best he could; there was something that Deacon knew, otherwise this wouldn't be such a challenge. His eyes darted back to the man, and then back to the concoction...Aiden would do it, but he knew that the man was playing dirty, somehow, some way. It bothered him that he couldn't figure it out, and he sat staring at the glass before finally he threw it down his throat.

[Casey]

Art dragged his nail into the worn wood of the bar. His attempt to become invisible had been failing miserably. This was further confirmed by Teagan sitting down next to him. He glanced up at her before looking back down at the bar.

“Need something?” His tone was bored. Maybe he should get his books back out.




Aiden’s paranoia was growing old, older than Deacon supposedly was. He may have needed it to survive but it was getting old. Every business man needs a vacation and the kid’s time didn’t have anything to kill at the moment.

“I solemnly swear on my life and my bar that nothing in that drink should make you have diarrhea, vomit, or pass out. I can make no promises about the crying or twitching,” he said raising his left hand. Rolling his eyes Deacon began to list the ingredients, “Wild Turkey, Ever-“ he stopped as Aiden took the shot.

He was glad Teagan jumped in. They may have been taking shots at one another in the prank game but it was friendly completion. The student was learning from a retired master simple as that. Like any good student she had helped professor to get a sucker to take the bait, and for that she would earn brownie points. She would also learn to never to piss off Deacon behind the bar.

There were only three ingredients in the drink. The first was a whiskey, in this case Wild Turkey, but any would do. It was only needed for the taste and to delay suspicions. Whiskey tended to have a burning sensation and if Aiden was a seasoned drinker, he would ignore the feeling at first. Second was a small amount of Everclear, one hundred ninety proof. That was just freaking strong alcohol meant to drop the drinker on his ass. As a side benefit it also messed with the nerves of the mouth.

From the description of many drinkers, including him, the experience was different for everyone, everytime. Some had the whiskey burn then their mouth went cold like ice had been shoved in it. Some had their mouth go numb from the Everclear. Rare case was that the Everclear went unnoticed. He wondered what Aiden’s reaction would be.

Now that combination alone was sometimes enough to get a reaction from the harder drinkers, Deacon wanted a guarantee though. The shot was reserved for A-holes who thought they were tough and while Aiden didn’t fit that description he did need a firm head smacking. Since Deacon couldn’t hit him without the kid trying to break his arm he’d go with a more…metaphoric route. Cue, a few teeny-weeny drops of concentrated capsaicin.

After the effects of the alcohol wore off, the surprise kicked in. Took anywhere from thirty seconds to a minute and a half, never more than two. Best was the result was always the same.

Deacon looked down and pressed a button on his watch, “Your time starts, now.”

[Teagan]

"Need something?"

Wow, Art looked terrible. The one glance she had received spoke of boatloads of humiliation. And embarrassment. It didn't take rocket science to figure Deacon wouldn't do this and Yuki hadn't appeared recently. That left Aiden. Her eyebrows narrowed a tad at the thought. Yeah, he deserved whatever Deacon had mixed in that beer.

"What's wrong, Art? You're wearing that face from when I, uh..." Teagan had sworn she would never mention this again. She had sworn. "...ran out screaming and you felt terrible. You know I forgave you, right?"

A rapid movement caught her eye. Behind them, Aiden downed the concoction.

[Aiden]

0:00.

The liquid slid down his throat, leaving the familiar burning sensation through his chest. Nothing out of the ordinary so far, just the regular effects of a shot. Could Deacon really think that Aiden wouldn't last? Sure, he wasn't a drunk, he didn't drink all that often, but when he did, he could hold his alcohol and he had a nice, pre-established tolerance against it. It wasn't the best, and it most definitely wouldn't be a cure-all, but it was one of the reasons Aiden still drank in the present.

0:30.

Still nothing, Aiden sat in his chair, a smug look on his face, eyeing Deacon rather than the glass of water. The shot glass sat empty on the bartop, gleaming in the light. Behind him, he could hear Teagan speaking to Art.

1:00.

Once again, still nothing. He held his face straight, teeth clamped down just in case this supposed face twitching really did start. The burning sensation in his chest was fading.

1:30.

Sitting there, the burning was slowly coming back.

2:00.

The burning was growing stronger.

2:15.

His mouth erupted into what felt like flames. His jaw shut tighter as he glared up at Deacon. What the hell was in this shit?! He knew that Deacon had played dirty! There was no alcohol Aiden had ever heard of that made the mouth burn like it was...and the burning was moving down through his chest.

2:30.

This was insane, unfair, painful...and yet Aiden still tried his best not to budge. How he was supposed to last another two minutes and thirty seconds, he didn't know.

2:45.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, he kept repeating in his head.

3:00.

His eyes moved from Deaon to the glass of ice water, the cool condensation dripping down the side by now. His teeth hurt from the force of his jaw pressing down on them.

3:02.

The icy water entered his mouth. He glared at Deacon again, as the jammed three ice cubes into his mouth, and let them sit on his tongue.

[Casey]

Did she think-? Arthur shook his head.

“No Tea,” he sighed, “I know you got over that. I’ve just managed to prove once again that I’m socially awkward. Totally my fault, not yours.”

If Teagan wanted anymore information the poor girl would have to drag it out of him. Meanwhile he covered his mouth as Aiden reached for the glasses. He shouldn’t be happy with the other boy’s miseries but it did give him a private vindication.




Deacon didn’t even laugh as Aiden failed the challenge. He just stood there with a wicked smile that spread to his eyes. Sad, sad little sucker. Still the kid now held the record and that was something worth applause.

He reached under the bar for another glass and poured it full of milk. After that he pulled a bucket out and set them both infront of Aiden.

“Here’s what you do kiddo,” He explained pushing the glass in front of him, “Take a sip of this but don’t swallow it. If you do you’re stomach’s gonna yell at ya and you could get sick. Spit it in here. Rinse and repeat until the glass is empty. Trust me, it’ll help you quicker than the water.”

He left the kid to his milk and grabbed two bottles off the display behind him. Carefully he mixed half Samnuca and half Irish Cream Liquer into a tall shot glass. The bottles were replaced and he turned back to Aiden. If the kid wasn’t in so much pain he would have been more concerned about being shot.

“Slippery Nipple,” Deacon said with a cheeky look, “Nurse this when the milks done. It’s usually not a good idea to mix poisons but it’ll help you stomach.”

“Now,” He leaned back, “You have faced the Seventh Ring. Welcome to a very excusive and unhappy club.” After he was done he broke down and released the laughter he’d been holding back since the kid had taken the shot.

[Teagan]

The teen felt a slight tug at Art's lack of confidence. Poor kiddo. "You're not socially awkward," she protested. "You're just not..." What described him? The kid had spunk, but was certainly not party material. "...not accustomed to the water of the pool yet. Don't knock yourself down, alright?"

Teagan fished through her pack for a pencil and paper, then tossed the piece of scrap to Art after scribbling down a website address. "Here. This'll help a bit."

She noted the boy's hand attempt to cover a smile as across the room, Aiden's face started twitching from the drink. Ah, so the younger one was in on it too. For a moment, she enjoyed the radiating frustration, and from Deacon's very pleased expression, he did too.

As sweat covered Aiden's forehead, Teagan turned her back in feigned disinterest, then threw Art a conspirator's wink. "Hey, what'd your brother slip in the cup?"

[Aiden]

He was in a pain that he had never experienced before, so he wasn't quite sure what to do. What did one usually do when your mouth was on fire? Milk, right. But...Now Deacon was saying to sip it. Why in God's name would he do that when it could cool down his mouth?! Because it would make him sick...right...for a fleeting moment he wasn't sure if he should trust Deacon or not. The drinking game had been rigged, after all, so why shouldn't the remedies be? He stared at the milk, having a rather strong distaste for the liquid as it was, but after a few more moments of burning, he clutched the cup, sipping in the white drink, and letting it sit in his mouth, much against his will, before spitting it out in the bucket, and following the routine that Deacon layed out for him.

He continued to do so while Deacon mixed something else--could he trust that too? His mouth was soothed slightly, now, but there was still the lingering burn, not to mention it was in his chest. He tried to ignore it the best he could, while trying to force himself to continue with the milk, and at a certain point he was finally done, his stomach just as upset with him about trying to give it milk than what would happen if he actually swallowed some. With the bucket full of milk and saliva, Aiden stared at the glass of alcohol, not questioning the trust anymore, and taking a drink. He needed the feeling gone enough so he could speak his mind.

That moment came shortly after Deacon started laughing, and Aiden shook his head. "You're a real douchebag, you know," he growled, taking in some more alcohol. He could still hear Teagan behind him, part of him blamed her for getting him into this mess. Had she been in on it the whole time, known what would be in the drink? With a glare, he looked up at Deacon, his tongue relishing on the cool liquid as it slid down his throat. "Happy now, old man?" he grumbled to the clearly amused Deacon, and in his mind, one word came to mind. Fucker.

[Casey]

Art placed a finger on Teagan paper and dragged it in front of him. He lazily glanced at it. When he read it the first time he blinked in surprise, reading it again to be sure. He blushed and balled up the paper before aiming it at Teagan’s head.

“Not that kind of social awkward you jerk. I don’t need a dating site,” he huffed before getting a smile similar to that of his brother’s, “Just for that I’m not telling you what he put in the drink.”




Paranoia was not a shade Aiden wore well. Even with the drink obscuring much of his features he could still read the kid.

“The challenge is over,” Deacon rolled his eyes, “From here on out, I’m only trying to help you.”

“Yeah,” he sighed, “I’m a tool sometimes but you brought it on yourself kiddo. So yes, I’m all warm and fuzzy on the inside. Just tell me if you need another one of those,” he pointed at the drink in front of Aiden.

While the kid fumed Deacon turned back to the gentry. He figured he might as well make it official. Carefully he pulled himself up onto the back bar, avoiding the glass. The chalkboard was hanging from a battered cord and was easy enough to pull of nail. Climbing back down was easy and he set the board on the bar. With chalk he added to the top line and hung it back up.

The board now read:

Those who have survived the Seventh Ring:
A.W. 3:02

And few names below it.

“Congratulations kiddo,” He said flatly, “You’re a record holder now. I was think since you did man up, I could give you some slack. How’s one beer a visit sound? Take it or leave it.”

[Teagan]

Teagan laughed as Art chuckled the crumpled paper, ducking as it sailed over her head. "Your loss," she shrugged. An impish grin crossed over her face until Art withdrew any notion of revealing the ingredients of the drink.

Darn it. If she ever wanted to outdo Deacon, she would need to know all he did and more. Hardball time. She gave him a playful wink."Alright, but don't expect to sleep well tonight Arty."

Yeah, Teaganizing every room came in handy every so often.

[Aiden]

Help, yes, that was exactly what his mouth wanted. It was still on fire, no alcohol he'd ever encountered set his mouth ablaze like that. It only led him to believe that there was something else chemical about the concoction, and now that he was drinking the remedy, his mouth was praising him, almost singing and dancing in relief. Whatever was in the glass, Aiden wanted more of it, not because of the alcohol in it, and he was sure that Deacon knew that as well. He glanced up and nodded his head at his comment about needing another, and when the glass was in front of him, he took another long, enjoyable sip. Finally, his mouth was calm enough to be able to have a conversation and finally respond to ranking the top of that stupid challenge.

His insult didn't hold any damage with Deacon, so he didn't pursue the verbal beating any longer. However, the offer for him to have one drink everytime he came back was fine enough for him, so he would take it. "Done and done, so you'd better not go back on your deal," he said quickly, holding out his right hand to shake on it. He glanced over his shoulder at Teagan and Art, glaring at the prior. "If you weren't going to be training under me, I'd so give you some pay back right now," he said, and then looked back to Deacon. "How many others have done that? How long do they last?" He asked, thinking that his time was bad compared to what it could have been.

[Casey]

Sure he missed, but he didn’t care. He was in too good a mood. Art may have just met Teagan but she already knew how to make him feel better. Usually it took him days to get over the slightest hint of humiliation. With his memory any bad would cycle through his head none stop. Teagan was able to stop that though, surprisingly. It also helped that he liked Teagan. At first he thought it was because she reminded him of Deacon. Now he saw that though they were similar Teagan just had a kind of unpredictability that he found fascinating. His brother may have been off the wall but Art knew him, he wished he knew Teagan.

“I know I won’t be sleeping well,” he smiled joining the game fully, “My parents play their music way too loud.”

As for the rooms, it would only take Deacon a few minutes to find and clean up whatever she did.




Deacon was more than happy to put another drink on the bar. His imp like deminer had faded but he was still smiling faintly.

“I am a man of my word,” he chuckled, “but keep in mind it’s just one beer. Hope you can live with that for the next three years.”

He took Aiden’s hand in a firm handshake, “Deal’s a deal.”

“In total, I know of about eight that have tasted the Seventh Ring, nine including myself,” he looked back Aiden, “you beat most of them by twenty seconds, me by thirty two and I knew what was coming. May not sound like much, but it’s like a marathon. Every second counts.”

[Teagan]

The irony within Aiden's remark about giving her payback tore her attention away from Art and almost made her bust out in laughter. Him? Give her payback? That would be the day. He had no idea what exactly he was up against. So instead of enlightening him, she protested.

"Look Aiden, I had nothing to do with that, alright?" As much as Teagan wished she had. Really wished it had been her. "I'm only 18. I certainly know nothing about drinking." She sent a pointed look his way, conveying her disapproval. But, since it had given Deacon a great opportunity to pull something over the cocky teen, she could let it slide.

She turned her attention back to Art, who mentioned something about his parents playing music. Hm, apparently he didn't stay at the Wesson during the nighttime. Oh well. Another time then. "Looks like someone beat me to the job. My loss." Teagan readjusted the weight of her backpack on her shoulder. "Guess I'll have to wait for another opportunity to appear then, hm?"

Teagan playfully ruffled his hair. "Until next time, Art." With that, she headed toward the door. "Aiden, Yuki and I will meet you in the car. And Deacon?" What could she say to Deacon? "I'm not going to say thanks for knocking me over...but, well, thanks for helping me up."

[Aiden]

There was a triumphant grin on Aiden's face as Deacon described the other people that had that drink. He owned them, beat them by a long shot, although he wasn't sure how. His mouth, that had been some of the most intense pain he'd ever been in, his tongue was still scolding him for intaking such a drink. He was sure that his stomach would punish him later as well, but at the moment, he was in a sort of victory rush. He beat everyone else, there was a side of Aiden that was a little competitive, and hearing that he had basically won out over everyone thus far made it all worthwhile. "Well, Mr. Rook, I hope you can gain a lesson from this, something along the lines of 'don't-mess-with-those-that-can-beat-you' or something like that. Take it as you want," he teased, and then glanced over his shoulder at Teagan.

Nodding, he turned back to Deacon, and held out his hand. "Well, we'll be off then. To be honest, I couldn't be happier, I've been waiting to blow this town since the day I got here. Don't go tricking other people into that drink, don't keep being a jerk, and thanks for the stay. Tell Jeff we left for Portland when he gets back," Aiden said. He and Jeff were always in a sort of awkward relationship, so Aiden wasn't big on goodbyes with him. He turned to Art on his way out, having grabbed the bag he carried some of this things in, and smirked. "Stop being so socially awkward, would you? You had how many chances with her?" He was teasing again, and about Teagan, but he was only playing around. And with that, he walked out the door, over to his car, and turned out onto the road, heading west for home.

[Casey]

Art smoothed down his hair and tried to look annoyed. A small smile slipped out as she walked off.

“I’ll stay weary until then,” he waved after her.

“No problem, Little C,” Deacon called after her. He smiled to himself, “Take care of yourself. Not everyone that knocks you over is as considerate.”

Turning to Aiden he let out a snort, “Yeah I learned my lesson kiddo. Just be careful driving. I may not look like much but you downed some pretty potent stuff. The second you start doing something stupid get someone else behind the wheel.”

Art frowned as Aiden left. He hoped down from his seat and walked over to the bar. Looking at his brother he frowned, “What did he mean by chances?”

Deacon shook his head, “Don’t worry about it Art.” Young Love, oblivious and all. He wondered if his brother would ever see the world around him as clearly as the worlds in his books.

He picked up his book and bag. Art ran his hand over the cover before going up stairs. When he got to his room he set them on the bed and glanced around the room. On his desk he spotted the book that was a double of Aiden’s. It didn’t matter what the other boy had said, Art would keep reading and learning about the supernatural. He’d help them whether they liked it or not. Carefully he opened the book to back cover. He pulled out the slip of paper significantly newer then the pages next to it.

Deacon-
Hope you like the sign. Just a little superstition to keep you safe.

Art-
Don’t stop reading. You never know when knowledge from a book will save your life.

Casey


He looked over shoulder with a smirk. The man had told him to keep the origin of the books secret but during the hunter’s time at the Wesson he had considered telling them. After Aiden and his argument he held the secret close as a sort of personal revenge. Art folded the note and slipped it into bottom of the locking drawer in his desk. With a satisfying click he took the key and slipped it onto a ring with his others.

Besides it was always good to know things.