driftfleet | [Open]

Who: Anders and Open
Broadcast: Yes (Day after action)
Action: Malum
When: The action takes place a day or so after this happens and the broadcast takes place the next morning

Action
[It hadn't been his first thought to go to the bar. Not even fourth or fifth, but it had popped up eventually. When everything became too much all at once. His clinic was too quiet despite not changing, he was too vulnerable despite not being in any danger. Everything had changed and he hadn't even considered how much until Justice was gone.

Anders went to the only place he could think to go. True, the Space Bar might be a better environment for noise, but Fenris was exactly the last person he wanted to accidentally run into tonight, so Crowley's bar it was. The sound of other people was helpful, at least. And the first drink he basically inhaled helped more. It made it easier to ignore how that persistent hum at the back of his mind was gone, how there wasn't a flux and flow of emotions not quite his own always licking at the edges of his thoughts, how there was only one set of feelings and opinions about everything now left in his head. He'd foolishly tested, half hoping to feel the burst of righteous anger and power as his thoughts drifted to blood magic and the plight of mages and every damn other thing he'd spent the last ten years fighting for.

Suddenly...it was like it had been someone else's problem. Someone else's fight. Like before.

He didn't like it.

He ordered another drink.]

Something strong this time. If it burns my taste-buds into ash, even better.

Voice
[There's a side-effect to drinking. One he hadn't had to deal with in roughly a decade. But, oh, was he dealing with it now. And every time he tried to send a pulse of healing magic into his own head, the hangover he was nursing would just pulse brighter and pang harder and make him think maybe a broodmother would be a blessing right now. It could kill him viciously and in some disgusting way and it would be far kinder than what his head was doing to him.

Perhaps Justice had been doing him a kindness all those years after all. Maker have mercy.

He turned on the broadcast, clumsily hitting video and then voice so a flicker of his disheveled and pathetic appearance can be seen to those who happen to be looking at the time, but then it's gone again and replaced with his voice. Which wasn't really in any better shape.]

Does anyone have any...faster ways with dealing with hangovers? I'd normally take care of it myself but...well, I can't. And thinking isn't too easy right now, so any help would be appreciated. Smartass comments are not, however. Thanks.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I don't actually know. I just hate ruling anything out. [Helpful?]

Oh, I see. Good to know you're helpful in these sorts of situations.

[A pause for dramatic timing.]

Well, what do you know? It does help.

[That earns a smile, not that it's visible.] I could drop a few more but I wouldn't want to fix you too well. You might overdo it again.

It's true, I've heard plenty of times that building pain tolerance is building character. Why stop now?

[He's smiling now too. Too bad they're both just so prone to that sarcasm.]

Exactly. I'm glad we could be on the same page for this.

So what was all the drinking for? Celebration? [Forgetting?]

Sort of. It's complicated.

I've lost a friend, but it was for the better.

Disappeared fleet style? [Was there an actual death she didn't hear about?] Who was it?

No. He...his name was Justice and he was a spirit. He wasn't part of the Fleet, not the way you're thinking.

[He wasn't going to find a way around explaining this, was he?]

He was part of me, I was possessed by him, to try and explain it as plainly as possible. That's why it's better that he's gone home. [But now something was missing and that was where the alcohol came in.]

...Oh. [Well, that is kind of big news.]

Are you different now? [So far he didn't seem different, but she doesn't know him that well in all honesty. Wouldn't no longer being possessed normally be a good thing too?]

[He can't help the ragged laugh that escapes from him.]

I'll let you know, I'm not sure. I think so? But I'm also not.

It's far too complicated to try and deal with sober, as I'm sure you can understand.

I guess I ask the hard questions, huh? [She looks at him with some concern.]

I get the urge to try and drink it away. [She doesn't say so, but it's there in her tone saying it won't work.]

You're an intelligent woman that way. [He tries to give her a smile that would chase the concern away.]

I'll be alright, Kitty, I swear. I just...need some time, I suppose. To figure out who I am again.

But I can promise I won't be trying to drown the problem away again.

Now, now, I'm an intelligent woman every way. [She returns that smile, but the concern stays. She doesn't know him in any particularly deep and meaningful way, but she likes him.]

But that's good since problems have a way of learning to float.

Of course, forgive my foolishness.

[But the joking layer faded and traces og guilt remained in his strained smile.]

I shouldn't have laid that on you, I'm sorry. Thank you for listening all the same.

[Making a soft thoughtful sound ~~as her mun finally realizes they've been smiling at each other a lot for this being voice.~~]

You wouldn't know this about me, but I'm excellent at carrying things. It's always easier when you're sharing it with someone too.

[~~Hey I was just rolling with it, they were smiling with their voices~~ He gives a quiet laugh.]

I suppose you're right, I too prefer to help others carry rather than offer my burdens myself.

I must thank you again, Kitty...there aren't very many people back home I could share this particular one with, I appreciate you were willing to listen at all.

I didn't say I preferred it. You can have all the burdens of mine you want. I have a burden garage sale every Thursday. [Shooting him another one of those audible smiles.]

Really no need to thank me though. Not unless you end up wanting to talk and then I accept cake as gratitude. [Making with the jokes, but the message is that her door is open and he doesn't have to worry about it being a problem. And that she likes cake because that's just good for people to know in general. You gotta get that word out there.]

I'll come by next Thursday, then. And I'll bring a cake.

[He's joking right along, but he gets it. He maybe didn't know as much about Kitty as he would have liked, but the opportunity was there. Likely with cake next time.]

Don't tease a girl about cake. That's serious stuff right there. [So much truth in her joking.]

Please, madam, you wound me! I would never tease about something like cake.

[May the Maker strike him down for even thinking it.]

Edited 2017-01-22 23:48 (UTC)

In that case I'm looking forward to Thursday.