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 Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 6:00 pm
The bottle was plucked from Al's fingers. Merric took a swing - something he never would have considered under normal circumstances, but the cabernet was a strong vintage, and he could already feel it working through him - and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand.
"Yes," he said, "and no. Perhaps. I'm not sure."
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Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 6:11 pm
"Why aren't you sure?" He asked while holding his hand out for the bottle back to take another swig himself.
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Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 6:57 pm
The bottle was returned to Al without a scowl this time, Merric's thoughts elsewhere.
"Merely that no matter what I do or where I go, things always seem to make it difficult for me."
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Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 8:11 pm
"This place is pretty hard mode man," he pointed out while taking the bottle. There was now a man in a lab coat on screen singing about torturing people. "But people here generally trying to help," he tilted his head back for a new swig. His head felt light. "Your bro sounds weak and soft if he needed s**t handed to him, no offence, he your bro and all. I just mean like, tough s**t makes you appreciate the good s**t more and you get to enjoy it more and be stronger for the journey." He was probably not actually 100% sure what he was trying to say.
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Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2017 5:21 am
Merric was looking at the screen again, though his eyes were still unfocused, not really seeing said man in said lab coat - though the latter did register, for a moment, since he'd left his own lab coat behind. A small flutter of wistfulness curled through him, then dissipated.
"Only sometimes," said Merric, with a slightly strained laugh that held no humor at all and was almost more of just a huff of breath than an actual laugh. "Not everyone wishes to help."
Al was given a sideways glance at last as Merric's gaze refocused. It took a little more effort than it should have. "I suppose that's one way of looking at it," he said slowly. "But the other way of looking at it is just that he is extraordinarily good at what he does."
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Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2017 6:16 am
"Well, you are good at what you do already so that's a start," He held the bottle out after sneaking a second swig.
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Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2017 7:38 am
Merric accepted the bottle, though he gave Al a confused look before taking a swig.
"What am I good at?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2017 8:11 am
"what matters most," He offered before eyeing the bottle over longingly. It brought back memories of a past life. A him that died a long time ago. "Surviving."
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Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2017 9:57 am
There was a moment of silence before Merric passed the bottle over to Al.
"What good is surviving if there's nothing to survive for?" he asked quietly, and it came out bleaker than he had intended, hollow in his throat.
Or no one to survive with.
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Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2017 10:47 am
"You survive for ******** you," Al accepted the bottle and paused to eye it over fondly. It actually was pretty damn good wine, Merric had not been scammed. "For as long as you live and breathe, you can always go up." He knew it wasn't much but it was true. As long as he fought, as long as anyone fought, they could only get stronger and better at it. Merric was no exception. "Beside, there's still so much to see, learn, experience. Especially from the way you describe things going so far for you."
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Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2017 8:59 am
He did not know what that meant. Merric's mind was growing more and more unsteady, the wine taking effect, a steady thrum of heat through his veins. It was, in all respects, really a very good vintage; he could taste the fullness of it on his tongue, a dark hint of something fruity.
Al's voice was filtering through the fog. Merric shook his head, and this was a mistake, because everything was slightly blurry around the edges and this only served to make him a tad dizzy.
I'm not worth that. I don't want to live just for myself because there's nothing to live for.
He couldn't say that. The words were stuck in his throat.
"Nothing is going right with me, I don't know what you're talking about," Merric mumbled.
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Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2017 10:03 am
Al almost looked offended, "you've made friends haven't you?" Unlike Merric though, he was still pretty with it but a few more swigs could easily change that.
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Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2017 10:37 am
He didn't know how to answer that.
"I don't know," said Merric thickly. "I don't even know if they want me to be their friend anymore."
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Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2017 11:16 am
"Why wouldn't they?" he certainly sounded offended with his haughty tone. Wasn't he himself a friend? Did he just not count? Was that it? Or what if he counted but that wasn't considered a good thing? That was worse. He took a fresh swig and swallowed. "I like to think we are friends. New friends, but friends."
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Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2017 11:40 am
The bottle was taken from Al's hand. Merric took a healthy swallow, and while it didn't burn in the same way that whiskey or bourbon did, it was still warm and heady and something that was taking away the edge of his frustrations, so that he was less aware of everything that was aching inside.
"Not you," Merric clarified. "I mean, I guess we're friends, I don't - know what that means, really, I like friends, I am just - I ruined things, and now they won't want me to talk to them, I know it, but you and I - I mean, we're friends? Maybe?"
It was a little hard to talk.
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