milliways_bar | (no subject)

(no subject)

Nick comes down from his room. He's cleaned up since...the last few days. He looks a little lost, but his clothing and hair and appearance is otherwise impecable. He nearly stumbles on the way to the bar, eyes staring at anything but the actual environment around him. He sits. He stares.

He orders some food and begins to sip.

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Nick doesn't move.

~~Please remember this is the guy who was kneeling on the ground crying for three days straight.~~

Quietly, "what if I asked you to hurt me?"

~~The mun knows, Alex does not.~~

"To what end?"

because I deserve it

"Penance."

"A penance of pain is worth very little."

But he doesn't say no.

"Penance is penance, however you choose to make it."

Alex may not have been a cloister boy like Thom, but he's religious enough.

"You're right."

He is.

"I tried that way for three hundred years, you know."

"I've been doing it for six months. Still got a ways to go before I'm done."

He looks down at his tea again.

Nick presses a kiss to the side of his head with a pained expression he hopes Alex doesn't see.

"I know."

Idly, "you ever been to Hell, Nick?"

Nick shakes his head.

"No. I...know two people who have. I have...seen my soul though. Once."

He shudders...just a bit.

"I was in the Black God's realm for three months before I came here."

"Is that Hell?"

"My world's verson of Hell."

"You're here now."

Another laugh, this one quieter but still brittle, so brittle.

"Yeah. Guess so."

Nick kisses him softly.

"That means something."

His tea has gone cold.

For some reason that matters.

Alex is confused.

Nick stays there...and is confused as well.

*Meg comes downstairs, looking tired and dismal and depressed.

Meg staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaares.

And then slips up behind them, very, very quietly, quiet as a small white rat -

And, with all the force she can muster, punches Nick as hard as she can in the side.*

Nick blinks. He sways a little but doesn't move much.

"Hello Meg. I was expecting something similar. How are you?"

Alex glances at Meg, then back down at the cup of cold tea.

"'lo, Miss Giry."

How am I? *Meg's voice is a harsh squeak.*

How am I. Let's see. Well, I've just found out one of my friends is dead. One of my other friends is a slave, and one of my other friends beat someone to a bloody pulp, broke every promise he made to me and is now apparently involved in taking advantage of someone's emotional abuse -

Let's see, I'm feeling jolly this morning!

Nick blinks.

"Who died?"

Anthy's isn't any news and he's well aware of the trouble he's in. Though that last bit...

"And what're you talking about?"

A friend. *Meg's voice is flat.* No one you know.

And what am I talking about -

*Her fists are clenched.* Va te faire foutre, Nick, just - va te faire foutre, I don't know what you think you're playing at but whatever it is -