“This should keep us going for a while.” Killian put down a fair amount of shots in the centre of the table, of a few different varieties. “First up, vodka.” With a sly grin he handed out a clear shot to Liz and Hibiki.
“Buyers go first?” Liz suggested, holding her shot up towards Killian.
“Alright, let's start with an easy one.” Killian said as he thought about it for a moment. “Worst injury you've ever had? Let's just go clockwise. Sam?”
“I never really got hurt badly. There was this one time when I was young, and my oldest brother broke my pinky while playfighting. I elbowed him in the face and gave him a bad concussion and a broken nose. Not the best day for my parents.”
“Oof, remind me not to pick a fight with you.” Killian said.
“Don't break my fingers and you'll be allowed to live.”
“I'll try. Liz? What's your worst?”
“Er… I was such a clumsy kid. But I think it was when I was twelve, I twisted my ankle playing football on one of those uneven sport fields. I got a tear in my muscle, and it hurt so bad. Other than that just bruises and scrapes.”

While Sam and Liz answered the question, Hibiki had been writing intently for when it was his turn. Now it finally came, he showed his phone to everyone albeit a little sheepishly.

‘It was actually last year. I totaled a brand new dirt bike I got for my birthday a few weeks after. I broke a rib and my shoulder, it was pretty bad. I'm going to try and get back into it this year, but my parents aren't happy with it.’

“You ride dirt bikes?” Liz asked surprised, and Hibiki nodded with a big smile.

'I race out on sand and mud tracks.’

“That's awesome.”
“Are you any good?”
He nodded again with pride.

'Before the accident I placed pretty high in the youth rankings. Not top ten or so, but enough to get sponsors and a team. But I will have to get back in form for the new season in spring, to qualify in the UK teams.’

“Still, didn't see that one coming.”

'It helps when your opponents think you're small and adorable.’

Hibiki's sly grin betrayed that he was anything but that – even if his appearance did mislead. A moment later he gestured at Tristan as if he was handing the question over, waiting expectantly for the answer.
“Oh er, I actually nearly died once, when I was eight.”
“What?” Liz said loudly.
“How did you manage that?”
“Ruptured appendix.” The moment Tristan mentioned it, Killian cringed. “I had emergency surgery and several long nights on intensive care, drugged with all sorts of antibiotics and painkillers.”
“That’s way too close a call.” Liz mumbled, slightly taken aback.
“It was. If the antibiotics hadn't taken hold, I'd have been gone. But hey, I'm here now. How about you 'An? What's your worst?” Tristan played off the event rather nonchalantly, not willing to ruin the mood with such a topic.
Killian just smiled, and then tipped the shot backwards in one big gulp. His cheeks got a bit brighter, as he shook off the burn and let out a deep breath.
“You got your dick stuck in something, didn't you?” Tristan said, crossing his arms. It caused everyone else to laugh, with Hibiki giggling brightly.
“You'll never know.” Killian said with a grin. “Sam, you're up.”

Sam thought about her question for a moment, but then smiled once she'd decided what to ask.
“Hmm, let's go for a simple question. What's your biggest fear?”
“That's a good question.” Liz said as she pondered over her answer. “I mean, I am not comfortable around heights? But if I really have to go with something I'd say death?”
“I can see why, it's a weird concept isn't it? One day just not being there. It seems so empty, and overwhelming.” Tristan added, perhaps a little too intrigued from a philosophical point of view.
“Don't worry about it, it doesn't have much use, since it will happen to everyone. What we do while we're here is more important.” Sam added, trying to ease Liz's fears a little. She smiled and nodded in reply.
“I suppose that is the best way to look at it.”
While they spoke, Tristan had noticed Hibiki staring down at the table. He was just about to ask if he was alright, when Hibiki appeared to snap out of it. With a slight chuckle and bright red around his cheeks he looked up at Tristan, then towards the rest and downed his shot.
“You good buddy?” Killian asked with a smile. Hibiki chuckled again and nodded, making a quick few swipes on his phone and gesturing towards his head.

'I think the alcohol hit.’

Hibiki had a bit of difficulty holding his phone up to show, as he shook with soft, alcohol-induced giggles. The sight was infectious, causing the rest to laugh as well.
“You’re not bothered by the questions?” Tristan asked, somewhat unsure what to make of Hibiki’s initial reaction. Hibiki looked up and smiled, then shook his head and held up his hands to wave away the concerns.
“So, what’s your worst fear, eh?” Killian said giving Tristan a slight push against his shoulder.
“Hospitals are definitely getting up there, and failure, maybe?”
“You’re afraid of me then?” Killian grinned, causing Tristan to roll his eyes.
“You’re like an overgrown, hospital themed muppet, nobody is scared of that. Now tell them how I had to save you from a spider last week.” Tristan said with a gesture towards the rest, causing Killian to sputter a little in protest.
“That’s unfair! Fine, I don’t like spiders. They have six too many legs and eyes, so I’m outnumbered by like, focking twelve… quick, sneaky cunts is what they are.”
“As if you’d ever have to worry about quick, sneaky cunts.” Sam said back deadpan.
The retort caused Tristan to snort his coke back out mid-sip, seeing Killian’s stunned reaction.
“You practising to be a sprinkler?” Killian said with a surprised chuckle. Meanwhile Tristan got red in the face between trying to catch a breath between laughing, shame and the burning sting of bubbles in his nose.
“I didn’t,- I didn’t expect that.” He sputtered, attempting to defend himself while Liz handed him a pack of paper tissues. Embarrassed and winded he blew the wrong kind of coke out of his nose. “Ugh, that hurts…”
While Tristan wiped the table and himself clean, Hibiki had devolved into giggles. Although they weren’t quite uncontrollable, he didn’t seem to be able to stop himself for more than a second or two at a time, before having a giggle again.
“Well you’re having a bloody good time with this, aren’t ya?” Tristan muttered, yet unable to hold back a smile. The caused Hibiki to full-blown giggle and nod unabashedly.
“At least you didn’t have much left.” Liz said, gesturing at Tristan’s now ruined drink. He sighed a little.
“I’ll get a new one in a bit, what’s the next question?” He tried to distract from his mishap, with success as Liz already had hers prepared.

“If you had to kiss anyone on this table, who would it be?” Liz grinned, watching both Killian and Tristan groan.
“You can’t ask that when I just had coke come out of my nose. Have some mercy.” Tristan uttered, but Liz simply smiled back.
“I’m curious though. What do you think Hibiki, anyone catching your fancy?” She grinned, attempting to pull him over onto her side.
Hibiki blinked twice at that question, then gave a surprised look around the table.
“Well, it can only be Sam or Liz, and Sam would probably break you if you tried. So I’d pick Liz.” Killian shrugged, going along in the game, but Hibiki shook his head.
“You really don’t have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable.” Tristan said, giving Liz a little glare as she smiled quasi-innocently. But Hibiki just typed, giving a quick glance over at his bodyguards, who glanced back. He immediately stared back at his screen so he wouldn’t catch their attention.

‘It’s okay. I just don’t swing that way?’

He admitted, his already flushed face getting even redder around the cheeks. He didn’t even know why he was so honest and forthcoming, but there was some catharsis to be found in just being clear from the get-go.
“Well I’m flattered.” Kilian said with a grin, which made Hibiki look up again, not expecting that answer. Still he smiled, relieved to not catch any flak for it.
“Can I pick him then, just so I won’t have to deal with all your nonsense?” Tristan said, pointing out Hibiki. Liz simply shrugged and nodded.
“How about you Sam?”
“Well I wouldn't go for the boys, since they're gross.” - “Thanks.” - “I don't know you, Hibiki, but you wouldn't like it either. So clearly you're the least complicated answer.” Sam said, choosing Liz.
“She might ask you embarrassing questions afterwards.” Tristan warned her.
“Now it’s your turn to answer.” Killian grinned, but Liz simply smiled and took her shot of liquor, much to his dismay.

The game of back and forth continued on into the evening. As they got more comfortable with one another, the questions got more personal, and an increasing amount of shots came to their rescue. Until finally at around eleven, Sam called it quits.
“I think we should go, it’s getting quite late.”
“It’s only eleven though.” Killian complained, but Sam quickly shut him down.
“I don’t want it to get too late though, and I still need to bring Liz home.”
“You’re no fun.” Killian grumbled, as he laid his head down onto the table. “What are we supposed to do then?”
“Not get into trouble.” Sam said sternly, before she pointed at Tristan who was slightly taken aback by it. “You’re the responsible one now.”
“Aye-aye captain?” He said, a little confused by her fierce assignment of this duty, but he knew that as the only sober one left it would have been his anyway.
“You sound like my mum.” Killian weakly sputtered from behind his arms.
“Good.” Sam said, which made Killian’s shoulder slump a little as he gave up on any witty comebacks. “Come on Liz, time to go.” She scooted over beside Liz, who looked up with a rather dull, blissful smile, and then nodded.
Once she had moved past Hibiki, who’d giggled on and off for the entire evening, she gave him a hug.
“It was nice to meet you.” She said, her speech a little wobbly from the alcohol, before moving on to hug Killian the best she could over the table, then settling for Tristan. The latter she nearly fell over against, causing him to half catch, half hug her. She lingered there for just a while, apparently rather comfortable.
“Alright, come on, Triss isn’t that huggable.” Sam said as she tugged on Liz’s shoulder. Liz let herself be peeled off of Tristan, and he smiled at her with a raise of his hand.
“Bye, I’ll see you at debate.”
She grinned and waved back.
“Ta.”
Sam just left it at a silent raise of her hand, as she put an arm around her far beyond tipsy friend and walked out the bar.