[center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/kgXp0x5Z/e0bbc0403ce7ae5e7d6f231c8f188d2c.png[/img][/center]

[hr]
[sup][@Jollan][@Sho Minazuki][/sup]
[hr]

Annika silently followed Garsin as he approached the man. He was indeed much more accustomed and undoubtedly the better choice for situations like those. Taking a tankard himself and starting to drink as fiercely as the other man, Annika understood the approach Garsin had planned. Using both the drink and a common background to establish a sense of familiarity with the old man and allow a more... comfortable conversation... Or at least that was what Annika thought. He might as well just be drinking for the sake of drinking and just approaching the man without thinking about anything like that.

Annika wouldn't be of much help in that part of the conversation, but she had to at least try to do something to make herself a bit less suspicious than just straight up start eyeing the man almost as if that was some kind of interrogation, as such, Annika tried as hard as she could to continue drinking despite hating alcohol. Holding the tankard with both hands and delicately raising it to her lips, she took another small sip of it, followed up by a discreet shake of her head with a disgusted expression.

Despite being obviously already somewhat drunk, it was clear that the old man had sharp eyes, as he quickly noticed their weapons and assumed, correctly, that they were from Escain. As he started complaining about the political situation, Annika immediately started paying close attention. If that guards who came here before was directly supporting the prince, that old man surely mustn't be just a nobody. Confirming her thoughts, the bartender came just a moment after that, calling him 'Colonel'. That man was more influential than what Annika had previously thought... That was a good sign.

But when he mentioned drinking [I]more[/I] than they already were, despite discreet, Annika's facial expression was clearly one of panic. She was already struggling to just take small sips, let alone starting drinking for real... That was a very good opportunity to make the colonel more friendly towards them, and possibly make him let slip more information, but Annika wouldn't be able to do anything regarding alcohol. She hated it and was notably weak to it.

Immediately looking to Garsin, her expression already said everything without actually saying anything as she pushed the tankard away from her with a discreet disgusted face and looked at him shortly after, with a determined expression. He had to take up that Colonel's challenge.