AFTERPARTY III: Never Have I Ever Been Quite This Drunk

[mirrite]

[There's absolutely nothing celebratory about this drinking party. "Party" isn't even the right word, not really-- it's more like a "drink until you forget and/or black out" session for anyone who wants to participate, and even the bartender isn't immune from that much. Please forgive him if your drink isn't mixed quite right; he's trying his best under the circumstances.

There's food, too, if anyone wants to attempt to stave off a hangover tomorrow, or just get something in their stomach after the events of the day: stirfry from Makoto, vegetable soup from Nageki (mediocre, but hey, a genuine effort was made and that's what counts), and some tea for those who would rather abstain from the harder stuff. (Is that even many people tonight? Probably not.)

Come on by the bar if you're hungry or want a drink, or even if you just don't want to be alone right now. That much, at least, is something that can be guaranteed tonight.]

Comments

[incompletely]

[ He watches him bring the cigarette up to his lips, and, well. He's not a fan of smoking, so that's partially why he decides to keep some distance between them.

But, against his better judgment, he walks towards him. Slowly, hands balled into fists at his sides. ]

...

[ The words are so hard. He knows he messed up, but his pride wants to get in the way and tell him to walk away from this, he doesn't owe Moriarty anything -- he knows that's wrong. Even after his meltdown, even after he resolved to not trust anyone (and failed utterly at keeping it), he at least owes William James Moriarty this: ]

I doubted you. And for that, I'm sorry.

[ He'll even bow when he says it, too. ]

[mathodical]

[ ... and that elicits a longer pause from him.

there's still smoke trailing from the ends of the cigarette that's still burning, but it's almost burned to nothing now, so william will just. drop it to the floor, stub it out with his shoe.

(he's stalling, a little bit.) ]

You don't have to. [ bow, he means, with a slight gesture that is meant to indicate that tenn can stand, he doesn't need that formality. ] I would be more surprised if you didn't doubt me at some point.

[ not when the evidence seemed overwhelmingly against him. now when everyone tenn has trusted has turned against him. william understands, so even if there's an undercurrent of something in his movements, in his words, he's trying not to let it bleed out too much when he speaks. ]

[incompletely]

[ He straightens himself again, then, and what Moriarty says...

Ouch. Somehow -- somehow...after all of this, he feels like he ought to trust Moriarty more.

Trust is such a fickle thing here, though. He's not really sure how to go about that with most people here. And honestly, he's surprised Moriarty is as resigned as he is now -- he thought there might've been more anger, or that he would've asked Tenn to go away. But that's not the case here.

It's almost as if he's been through this before. ]

... I couldn't vote for you. Even when I thought it was you -- in the end... I couldn't bring myself to. Even before I knew about what Yor did. You helped me so many times, and when Riku passed, you...

[ understood me, is what's implied there. ]

You were even with Jack and I when we moved Yor's body after the investigation. What I did to you was unfair.

[mathodical]

Is it really?

[ there's just a small, amused smile that tugs at the edges of his features, even if it causes his fingers to twitch, a reflexive action to go for the cigarette that's no longer between his fingers, and there's a sound that's vaguely, but not quite a chuckle ]

I wouldn't have blamed you if you had voted for me, actually. [ and now, only here, is that slight tinge of bitterness lacing his smile ] It wouldn't have been the first time people have clamoured for my death.

[ red eyes will meet pink, for a brief moment, and then he'll look away. ]

You could have made the same mistakes I made. I didn't want that. And as for Yor-- even if she was a killer, she deserved something. I said it too, earlier this week - I don't believe in disrespecting the dead.

[ it's why he has been volunteering with jack, week after week, to help with the bodies, even if he has never seen whether they are actually buried. ]

[incompletely]

...

[ He doesn't know what to say to that. He doesn't know what kind of life Moriarty's lived, and he doesn't know if he wants to (yes he does), so he's quiet up until he talks about disrespecting the dead. ]

Obviously, I didn't know Yor was capable of that -- I knew she could kill, but to cover up a murder in the way she did surprised me.

[ Not in a good way, either. ]

I don't know how you manage to figure these things out so easily.

[ ...He goes silent. Moriarty may notice that Tenn looks...a little shaky. ]