3 o'clock things

this world is a wasteland where nothing can grow

"Is that so?" Niki raises his eyebrows at the idea that he can't disappoint Sunjata. "Noted." For what, exactly, isn't something he can answer, and nor will he likely remember it by the turn of the hour. For now, though, he turns his attention to the rest of the flight that, apparently, he isn't going to like very much, and considers the tequila.

Without much aplomb now, he lifts the shot to his lips for a sip, only to immediately cringe and slam it down again. "Gods," he rasps, pushing the shot glass away as far as he can like that might help. And instead of reaching for the water, he takes a considerable gulp of his martini instead to help was away the taste. "That was awful," he tells the Heartless, nose still wrinkled in distaste.

"I do not think I wish to try the ranch water. And I will not stop until I have at least sipped all of them." Whether in shot form, cocktail form or both. "Perhaps a snack is not such a bad idea, though. What do they have?"

Niki

i used to have strength but i ran out of hope

relive who i've been at my worst,
every single night, looking for a distraction

Sunjata’s also a little stuck on the way Niki says noted, wondering what exactly the other man might test. But it’s all bypassed by the way he tentatively grabs the next shot glass and takes a small sip of it, the way his face scrunches up with very obvious distaste and tries to push it away as far as can be without it falling off the table. A low laugh leaves him as he snags it, downing the rest of the shot so that Niki doesn’t have to see it anymore and slides the cocktail over to his side as he mentions he won’t be trying it.

As for stopping, well, the man’s on a mission and Sunjata’s not about to tell him otherwise. He is, however, glad that he decides on snacks and Sunjata slips over the menu. “Well, we’ve got fries, pretzels, burger sliders, chicken wings… Nachos.. Flatbreads, pizza..” He lists out a few of the more common basic bar food items that could pair well with all of this, but his steel gaze remains on Niki as if wondering what he might pick out of the options.

the flood

waiting for the sun to rise
pretty sight for some hollow eyes

totally sniped from odd ilu

this world is a wasteland where nothing can grow

Niki even cringes at the sight of Sunjata knocking back the shot he'd abandoned, as if passively tasting it and hating every part of the experience. The rest of the lounge seems to have grown hazy and unimportant over the past few minutes, the necromancer having to stop himself from smiling at it all, though he can't for the life of him say what is so entertaining about it. Snacks, though, he can get on board with, listening with interest as Sunjata lists them all and propping his chin in his hand, elbow resting on the table.

"Do we have to choose?" he mumbles. "Alright... sliders and fries sound good." He has had both of those things before as well, so it's a bonus. And while that happens somewhere in the unimportant background, Niki reaches for the next shot to bring it towards him, narrowing his eyes down at the suddenly rich colour of the liquor. "And this is... whiskey?"

Niki

i used to have strength but i ran out of hope

relive who i've been at my worst,
every single night, looking for a distraction

Sunjata watches as Niki loosens up, almost a touch mesmerized by the way he seems to relax and become more comfortable – more and less attentive to the area around him. Watchful like one might be as it becomes a haze in the background for the current things happening around rather than paying astute attention to each and every change – which is probably for the better, given the House’s usual activities.

“Technically no.” Sunjata admits with a lopsided smile as he nurses the ranch water and nods to the order of sliders and fries. And while Niki reaches for the next shot, Sunjata gets the bartenders attention and orders the sliders and fries and a sampler plate with a little bit of all of them. “Yeah, whiskey. There’s different types of it, bourbon and rye. I tend to prefer the rye as it’s a little spicier. This one’s a rye –” He explains, leaning back in the booth again and shooting Niki a playful and slightly smug smile. “The other is bourbon and that tends to be sweeter. The cocktail’s an old fashioned which is what I usually get.” Gesturing to his own full glass of the same cocktail in the smaller one for Niki to try, Sunjata focuses on finishing the ranch water just to get the tequila further away from the table and Niki’s disapproval.

the flood

waiting for the sun to rise
pretty sight for some hollow eyes

totally sniped from odd ilu

this world is a wasteland where nothing can grow

"Booo," Niki says, quietly and all too reasonably, given that he readily accepts sliders and fries instead and completely misses the sampler plate Sunjata also orders. He's too busy holding the whiskey up to the light, as if the shine of it through the glass might offer some hidden insight, and he hums his approval. "Do you think the types of drinks we enjoy say things about our personalities?" he muses, before taking a sip.

Spicier is right, the necromancer giving a sharp shake of his head and hissing in a breath, though it's not nearly the negative reaction he'd given the tequila. "I can see why it'd appeal," he admits. "Though I don't think I would want more than a sip." Still, if an old fashioned is the Heartless's go-to, it only seems right to try it, and so he reaches for the mini cocktail and gives it a sniff.

"Smells... citrusy?" he tries.

Niki

i used to have strength but i ran out of hope

relive who i've been at my worst,
every single night, looking for a distraction

The boo sparks a small laugh from the Heartless, amused entirely by Niki in this state. He peers at it like he’s trying to reveal its secrets in the warm brown hue of the liquor and when the question hits, Sunjata’s scarred brows lift with curiosity. Like he’s pointed out a thing Sunjata’s always kind of wondered about but never really tested. “If I had to guess? Probably.” He snorts, though what it was he couldn’t say.

Surprised to not see the negative reaction to the whiskey and the willingness to even try the cocktail, even if he doesn’t sip more of the whiskey. “It’s got a botanical kind of bitters added, with orange as well. I get mine made with extra orange bitters, though.” He adds the little tidbit with a lopsided smile.

Food arrives while Niki’s testing the cocktail out, the sliders and fries set beside him while the sampler plate sits between the both of them – a large tray-like plate with small portions of nachos, fries, a couple small slices of pizza, pretzels, flatbreads, and wings with a variety of different sauces to dip them into. Sunjata murmurs his thanks and reaches out to snag a couple fries to devour, glancing up at Niki to see his reaction, positive he'd missed him adding this additional tidbit while he'd ordered.

the flood

waiting for the sun to rise
pretty sight for some hollow eyes

totally sniped from odd ilu

this world is a wasteland where nothing can grow

"What'd you think yours says about you?" Niki wonders, the immediate follow-up something that would normally stay locked behind his lips, but of course those lips are much looser thanks to the substantial amount of liquor in a short space of time. Humming his interest to hear how Sunjata tweaks his version of the cocktail, the necromancer takes a dedicated sip of the old fashioned and commits to a small shrug once he's finished. "Not bad," he says, "but a lot going on for me."

Evidently he's a man of simpler tastes.

Setting the cocktail down in time to notice the spread that's been set before them alongside the fries and sliders, Niki's eyes grow boyishly wide, like he needs to think twice about what he's seeing. "We didn't order this," he says mildly, though no part of him seems remotely upset by it. Indeed, he immediately - and perhaps surprisingly - reaches for a chicken wing, not really looking at what sauce he chooses to dip it in. "Thank you," he says sunnily, as if clocking that this is Sunjata's doing.

Niki

i used to have strength but i ran out of hope

relive who i've been at my worst,
every single night, looking for a distraction

What does he think it says about him? That’s a valid question and one that Sunjata contemplates heavily as he sips from his own drink. “I like.. Nostalgia. And I like to pretend I’m fancier than I am.” He says, flashing a crooked smile at Niki at the unbiased opinion of himself he's garnered. And from what he can tell from Niki’s current go-to cocktail, he might be able to surmise what it might say about the other man in front of him too.

“You like elegance, simplicity, and tradition.” He squints at Niki now, lips pursing slightly. “You pay attention to quality and you know what you want.” He tilts his head, avian-like as the answer leaves his lips to see just how much he’d guessed and which had hit true.

As the plates arrive, however, and they both pause to take a moment to eat, the last remaining shot on the counter is the brandy. Pleased that Niki is at least eating something for the moment, though, the thank you and the sunshine smile shot his way has him stilling a little, smiling a little more genuinely as he reaches out for a small section of the pizza once he’s swallowed the bite of fries. “You’re welcome, Niki.”

the flood

waiting for the sun to rise
pretty sight for some hollow eyes

totally sniped from odd ilu

this world is a wasteland where nothing can grow

It doesn't surprise Niki in the slightest that Sunjata is a connossieur at assigning meaning to liquor - what self-respecting bar (er, and brothel) owner wouldn't be after all? He listens quietly as the other man assigns himself the appropriate labels, vaguely aware that he's selected a particularly spicy sauce for his chicken wing that sets fire to his mouth in a wonderful way, but paying it little mind. "Nostalgia I understand," he says with a smirk, setting down the wing when he's done and licking the sauce from his fingers, "but you've always seemed humble to me. Or was that a ruse? Are you secretly trying to put on airs and graces?"

Then it comes to his assessment, and Niki's hand has reached for a slider quite without his permission, though the other is delivering another sip of a martini at the same time. He hums his amusement across the rim of the glass as the other man speaks, setting it back down and inclining his head in wry acceptance. "I concur with all of those, except tradition," he says. "I quite like to buck the trend, given the chance. That is where innovation lives, no?"

Sighing his satisfaction around the first bite of the slider, he relaxes in his seat and motions to the remaining liquor. "What's left?"

Niki

i used to have strength but i ran out of hope

relive who i've been at my worst,
every single night, looking for a distraction

A snort leaves the Heartless to hear Niki’s reasoning when it comes to Sunjata’s evaluation of himself, the fact that he seems humble is a good sign – and it takes everything in him to not make a joke about how he used to act. Arrogant and prideful, cocky in all the ways that seemed to suggest he was better than most. But that ship has long since sailed and his taste had all remained the same, it seemed.

To hear the correction to his evaluation of Niki’s preferred cocktail thus far, all he can do is shoot a grin his way and lift his old fashioned in a small little toast to it. “Here’s to getting our cocktail analyses half right.” Bouncing his scarred brows playfully, the Heartless takes a sip of his drink while Niki starts to nibble on the sliders.

“The last one is brandy. Usually just sipped and more often than not after dinner, but I’ve seen people drink it whenever they want.” He shrugs. “Fruity and aged, though.” He explains, setting his glass down as he focuses on finishing the slice of pizza he’d nabbed. He waits for Niki to take the sip before he studies him a little long. “Feeling okay, still?” He asks, lips twitching into a crooked smile.

the flood

waiting for the sun to rise
pretty sight for some hollow eyes

totally sniped from odd ilu

this world is a wasteland where nothing can grow

"To being half right," Niki agrees, raising his martini as well, though he's too preoccupied with his slider for another sip of it just yet. "And to figuring out what kind of drinks I like," he adds. "...And to you getting to watch me get wasted, I guess." If nothing else, this particular quest requirement for Sunjata ought to be considered wildly successful, though Niki no longer knows what to expect for the rest of his afternoon or evening.

Bouncing his eyebrows playfully right back at the Heartless, Niki wipes his hands on a napkin and picks up the shot of brandy to give it an experimental sniff. The scrunch of his nose confirms that, like all the other things he's consumed today, it's strong, but it also seems flavourful in a way that the others hadn't. Taking a small sip, he surprises himself with his own enjoyment, nodding and setting it back down. "Definitely for after dinner," he decides, already feeling the brandy warm his throat.

As for how he's feeling, Niki finishes his slider and nods readily. "I feel great," he says, even if the world is warm and hazy around the edges and he keeps catching himself watching the cupid's bow of Sunjata's mouth when he talks. "Though I imagine it hasn't fully hit me just yet."

Niki

i used to have strength but i ran out of hope

relive who i've been at my worst,
every single night, looking for a distraction

“A martini man.” Sunjata says with a soft laugh before he’s relaxing and finishing up the pizza slice if only so he can light another cigarette to occupy some of the time, setting it between his lips as he inclines his head. “Hey, it’s for a good cause. Means you’ll get to watch me get wasted one day.” He lights the cigarette and pulls it from his lips to shoot him a lopsided grin, evident that the scar on the side of his face has impacted the muscle there.

Not that it seems like Sunjata minds, he’s gotten used to the deadened feeling of it these days. And he puffs idly from it as he watches Niki try out the brandy, watches the scrunch of his nose and half expects him to decide he doesn’t like it. But he tries it anyway, much to Sunjata’s surprise, and doesn’t seem to hate it. In fact, it seems like an agreement to continue to drink it later – though Sunjata wonders if he’ll really need it.

Brightening up to hear that he feels great, Sunjata puffs out a smoky cloud of relief. “Good.” It leaves his lips before a deeper, accented laugh leaves him. “Probably not. But I guess now you can just focus on water and see how far it’s gotten you.” He shrugs a shoulder, the sweater bunching with the movement. “It’s gonna be worse when you stand, I guarantee it.”

the flood

waiting for the sun to rise
pretty sight for some hollow eyes

totally sniped from odd ilu

this world is a wasteland where nothing can grow

"Apparently so," Niki says, gesturing to the martini and the olive still sitting at the bottom of the glass (there is not much of the drink left at this point). "And excuse me - I've already seen you wasted," he reminds Sunjata. "At least I didn't show up on your front door in a snowstorm. I had an appointment." Quite satisfied with this argument, Niki reaches for a few fries to munch on.

He does intend to finish the brandy later in fact - it has made its way onto the necromancer's side of the table alongside the martini - and, perhaps to the Heartless's surprise, it's genuinely because he likes it rather than because of the alcohol content. "Sunjata, I dunno if you've noticed, but even when I'm sober it gets worse when I stand," he says with a dry raise of his eyebrows that's entirely ruined by the smirk twitching at the corner of his mouth.

Then, with his usually reserved nature set aside along with his sobriety, he gestures quietly for the cigarette between Sunjata's fingers. "May I?"

Niki

i used to have strength but i ran out of hope

relive who i've been at my worst,
every single night, looking for a distraction

A bark of a laugh leaves the Heartless as he lifts his hands in a placating gesture – like Niki’s on the attack and Sunjata’s trying to make sure the stray bullets don’t hit him. “Oh, right. Super prim and proper.” He replies equally as amused and dry, serious if it weren’t for the betrayal of the crooked lilt of his smile.

The smirk that twitches on Niki’s face as he answers the comment about standing has Sunjata reflecting it right back at him, head tilting avian-like as his steel gaze scans the necromancer’s face. “You still sure you don’t want me to carry you, then?” He asks, amused as he flicks the ash into the ash tray and peers back up in time for Niki’s request to hit him.

Honestly, it’s kind of amusing how little time Sunjata wastes in indulging Niki, the cigarette flipped over to hand it to the necromancer. “Sure.” He hums softly, and admittedly finds himself starting to stare and watch Niki take the drag from the cigarette.

the flood

waiting for the sun to rise
pretty sight for some hollow eyes

totally sniped from odd ilu