"A little early to be drinking, [i]Simon,[/i]" The man taking a seat next to him said. 

"The sun and moon do not dictate my hours to me, [i]Capalli[/i], nor do you," Simon said, taking a short sip of his drink. 

To be honest, it was early. Back in the days of the Hunt, drinking happened anytime and everytime, because the Hunt was full of hedonists with no self control. Things were different now, but Simon still had some vices. At least he didn't hunt people anymore. Besides, any fae worth his salt could drink the average man under the table, so he'd be fine.

The man next to him was a puca - one of the many shapeshifters to come out of Europe. Capalli himself was from the British Isles. Neither of the two fae were actually named Simon or Capalli. In fact they even had other names they could use, dating back decades, even centuries, but fae liked to play games, and identities could be another facet of that. Instead of using names they had always had (for instance, when the two first met Simon was going by Sylgair, over a century ago and far, far away) they made themselves new ones and created new lives to go with them. It was all a game, and besides, true names were never to be spoken aloud.

Capalli looked like a young, handsome man (though looking attractive tended to be a given with most fae) wearing a beanie pulled down to cover his ears. It was a rather poor attempt to hide the fact that he currently had dog ears. Pucas, unlike some other shapeshifters, tended to retain features from their animal forms.

"Care for another drink then, Sy?" Capalli said, smiling teasingly. 

"I buy my own drinks, [i]kind sir,[/i]" Simon drawled. Another small game - though they considered each other friends and would never glamour each other, accepting gifts from a fae was a bit faux pas. "Besides, I've had my fair share tonight."

"But I just got in here, Sy," Capalli said. He patted Simon on his back. "How 'bout this, bud - we trade. I'll tell you something I think you'll want to know, and you'll accept my gift. No debts, no glamours. Hmm?"

"I suppose I'm feeling magnanimous today, Cee," Simon said, but underneath his dismissive tone he was curious. Capalli could be generously called chaotically flighty on one of his good days, and given he was at a bar at 6 in the morning, it probably wasn't one. What info did Capalli have to give that made him forego his usual barrage of flirting?

"I appreciate it, Sy," Capalli said, pushing his own drink towards Simon. Capalli motioned for another, but Akseli seemed to be distracted. There was a crashing noise as a window behind them broke. This was a surprisingly regular occurrence, so Capalli merely shrugged and turned back to Sy, who hadn't looked over either. 

"I heard from a friend that there was... something loud a few towns over," Capalli said. He seemed a bit serious for once, which likely meant the news was 'funeral invite' levels of grim. "Heard a hunter had a mishap with a, uh, hunter, y'know? Call it unfriendly fire, if -"

"Speak plainly, Cee," Simon said sharply. "You know it's safe here. As in, a [i]fae[/i] hunter and a human one?" 

Capalli hesitated before continuing. "Yeah. I'm not sure who was hunting who, but the human went down in the end. People got upset. Rumors are spreading - on both sides, I imagine. For the humans, y'know, it could be just another man down in a long war, but on our side... well, people are talking about the Horned King again." The last name was said in a hushed tone, rightfully so. 

There was an awkward pause as Simon took a lengthy swallow from his bottle. "Well, fuck," he said, because it seemed the appropriate time to say it. Capalli nodded sympathetically.

"Well, people talk about him [i]every[/i] time one of the Wild fae do anything," Simon said, but he was clearly shaken to some degree. "He's too patient to risk any loyalists now, anyway. Why would he resurface? He's got no reason, it would just be -"

Capalli waved his hands defensively. "Hey, man, don't get too worked up. You're preaching to the choir, anyway - like I said, it's basically gossip. Still, maybe be extra careful. There's some tension about the former Wild Hunters after all 'at, so maybe keep your tattoo extra hidden for a bit. Maybe keep your shirt on in bed for a bit," he teased, going back to his casual tone. 

Simon rolled his eyes. Still, Capalli was right. Rumors were rumors, and the King was a popular boogeyman to keep the mill turning when fae were brought up. 

"Anywho, I'll see you later, Sy. Remembering to bring something for the potluck," Capalli said, walking away. 

Simon waited a few minutes before standing up, putting some time from Capalli leaving so he could finish his drink(s). He needed a smoke. The fae's natural tendency towards amazing health regardless of vices was something Simon gave silent thanks for everyday, because without it his liver and lungs would surely be shriveled and grey. He gave the broken window a short glance, then stepped outside to light his cigarette.