for everything4him

[detonability]

continued from here

[Nora arrives about an hour later because she needed to make sure that she wasn't making a big mistake. Things could become quite volatile between them at any given moment.]

Monroe.

[Cool and calm.]

Comments

[everything4him]

[The amount of drinking he can do in an hour is, in general, pretty impressive, but he'd been at least trying to be moderate. Ish. It's a bad night--wherein bad is him drinking and people probably needing to take weapons away.

But that does tend to make others safer, given the brooding and self-loathing are his main focus.

He'd left the door open for her, is mostly just...sprawled in a chair, bottle of whiskey on the coffee table.]

Nora. I thought you'd changed your mind...

[detonability]

[Nora would like to believe that she could rival him in terms of drinking ability but that mightn't be true. Still, she's going to make a big effort.

She snorts before sliding into the chair opposite him]

You know me. I'm stubborn like that.

[everything4him]

[He leans forward to pour her some whiskey in the second glass and slides it over to her.]

Well, then. You've got some catching up to do.

[detonability]

Looks like I do.

[Nora picks up the glass and takes a sip of the whiskey, enjoying the burn.]

It's good stuff. Where'd you find it?

[everything4him]

Would you believe a hidden tunnel behind some old mobster's bar in New York?

[detonability]

Yeah, I actually would. It's amazing the kind of things you can find if you look hard enough.

[everything4him]

Kind of like the things you lose when you're not looking. Or something. There's a parallel there. [There's also more whiskey, even though he probably should switch to he not-great stuff himself about now, as he's losing his taste differential at this point of the night.]

[detonability]

I guess so.

[It kind of makes sense. Sort of. He has been drinking for the past while.]

[everything4him]

[It's not like hopping around in his logic is easy on the best of days when he's sober, either, so.]

It wasn't supposed to be like this, you know.

[detonability]

What do you mean by that, Monroe?

[She holds off from calling him by his first name. Nora takes another sip while she waits for his answer.]

[everything4him]

I mean...[Give him a second. He's got to think how to phrase that.] All of this, really. It was Miles who wanted it. We were going to help. All the bandits and mini-militias and people unable to protect themselves. Miles said we had to help instead of go home. And now home's here, and he's gone, and I never wanted any of it alone.

[detonability]

Are you just drunk rambling or do you actually mean what you say? Because it sounds like you're rambling a little. I'm not sure if I can offer much advice but I can listen. It's a thing I'm good at.

[everything4him]

[Bass considers that for a moment, then shrugs.] I mean what I say in my drunk rambling. Not sure there's much advice to be given. No way to go back and fix the past.

[detonability]

Then I guess the only thing you can do is drink. [Which is what Nora does after speaking.] Maybe focus on the future. One day at a time if you have to.

[everything4him]

[Bass arches an eyebrow, studying her before taking another sip of his whiskey.]

And what would you suggest I focus on for the future? [He kinda really wants to know, because right now he just feels lost.]

[detonability]

Getting a decent night's sleep for one. The whiskey is sure to help you with that.

[A pause as she mulls that over.]

I was just speaking in general terms. What do you want for yourself?

[everything4him]

You'd think it would, wouldn't you? Somehow it doesn't really. I still dream. [And Bass's dreams are always, always, nightmares.] But without it, I don't sleep at all.

[He shrugs.]

Same thing I've always wanted. Miles. [A pause.] To come home again.