(no subject)

[rabbitworthy]

[OOM: The tradition of a lifetime takes on a whole new meaning.]


Darius is very much subdued when he comes into the bar today, and he breathes a sigh of relief when he ends up here rather than in the Hob. He can't stand walking into another room where every single inhabitant hates him on sight.

He walks up to the bar, not sure immediately what it is that he wants.

Eventually, though, he asks, "Could I get some white liquor?"

He could stand to kill a few brain cells. He's drinking to forget today.

Comments

[rabbitworthy]

"Haymitch?" Darius asks, just to make sure he didn't lose a part of the conversation to the liquor. "Yeah, of course. He's around the Hob a bit."

[sunbaked_baker]

Okay is one of those words that can mean anything from pretty good to usually ambulatory and most likely still breathing.

"Is he okay?"

[rabbitworthy]

Darius shrugs.

"He's Haymitch."

[sunbaked_baker]

Sunshine reminds herself that Darius is drunk, and chooses patience.

"Yes, and I'm asking how he's doing."

[rabbitworthy]

His face scrunches in thought.

"Isn't that an answer?"

For as long as he's known Haymitch the man has been pretty much exactly the same.

[sunbaked_baker]

"Not in the slightest," Rae replies, worry tinging her words with impatience.

[rabbitworthy]

"I don't know what else to say."

[sunbaked_baker]

"I'm just asking how he is!" she says, exasperated. "We've already established that he is, now I want to know how he's doing. How he seems. Is he all right? It's not rocket-science."

[rabbitworthy]

Darius would argue with that if he were more sober.

Of course, he'd probably be able to answer better then too.

He leans back at her tone, frowning into his drink.

"He's Haymitch. He's how he always is."

[sunbaked_baker]

"No, that's who he is. How is different, and is subject to change."

She can't believe this is that difficult of a question. It makes no sense.

"Or else there's no difference between how you were, smiling and having pie with ice cream, and how you are now, drinking yourself towards oblivion in guilt and horror. Which is ridiculous. You're still Darius, but obviously how you're doing has changed."

[rabbitworthy]

Darius turns his frown on her then. "But he's always the same," he argues.

He's never seen a side of Haymitch that wasn't drunk and relatively surly.

[sunbaked_baker]

"And how is that? What's he always like?"

[rabbitworthy]

"Drunk and grumpy?"