"Embarrassing for who?" Dirk asks, but nevertheless, he reaches for the fire whiskey. "I wouldn't be the drunk one. I could pass it off as irony."

He doesn't even try to take a gulp of it at first. Instead, he sips carefully, because it wouldn't be called fire whiskey without a reason, with wizards. Even so, the burn was stronger than he expected, and he has to be careful not to make a face in reaction as he takes another sip.

"So, how've things been here? Dave didn't tell me all that much," he says.