♔ Wine Testing ♔ (D/Solo)

It had been about a week since Louie had finally left Napedia for Fiore, and he had been spending every day going to various different places to spend money. He was feeling terribly homesick since he was separated from the luxuries he had been some accustomed to, and felt a need to compensate—to fill in the gap in between. Today, on a tepid afternoon overcast with stormclouds, he was filling that gap with wine.

"Are you kidding me? Is this a joke to you all?"

"N-No, sir!"

Louie was sitting alone at a small round table, wearing a thick, creamy-white turtleneck and charcoal slacks, all crafted with intricate design. He was holding a simple wine glass with a seemingly untouched amount of red wine inside. Groveling next to him was an employee of La grande vie—a fine-dining winery in Rose Garden—dressed in a standard vest-tuxedo and was acting particularly servile as his uniform might imply. They were not so subservient by nature, but ever since Louie had arrived to taste their wine, they were all compelled to please after his many harsh criticisms and rejections.

"To think that you dullards would find this appropriate to even present to me is. . ." Louie hovered the wine glass over the groveling employee before coiling his fingers around it and pouring its red contents over his head, "simply atrocious." he hissed with revulsion.

The room was silent and not a soul stirred. Even the employee who had been assaulted was speechless as he looked up, his sheepish stare meeting Louie's malicious, venomous glare. Their eyes met only for a moment before Louie turned away, placed the glass onto the table, and stood up indignantly. He took a towelette and wiped his hands. "Incroyable. I wouldn't let my dog drink this." Louie began to leave, the other employees only went to their coworker's aid when the golden man's back was turned to them and they felt safe from his critiques. They all worked in silence, and those who were in front of him made a path from him to walk, unobstructed. Standing next to the door was a short and stocky man, both hands outward with a small business card pinched in between.

The Manager offered it to him apologetically. "Please come again any time, Mr. Klein. . . we promise to do better. Everything will be on the house—"

Louie, with his chin up and crimson glare downward, snatched the complimentary business card and crumbled it as soon as he did. The manager was struggling to find words—Louie smirked haughtily. "Monsieur, with all that filth you've been serving me, I've had my fair share of jokes for the day. Perhaps comedy is what this business should focus on."

"Mr. Klein. . .!"

Before the manager could utter anything else, Louie had taken his black peacoat jacket from the hanger and left the building feeling less refreshed than he had when he entered. In many ways, wine testing was a delight Louie was accustomed to, but not in such a. . . poor fashion.