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 Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 5:38 pm
It was funny how something small could shake things up in a big way. Sure, technology was a big deal in the scheme of things, what with all the advancements and the cool things it could do. But a single email was very small in the world, even just on the web. One email was a drop of water in an ocean.
Except this one email had shut Tony's world down for a moment.
No response to his replies, no effort to contact him again. No address, no phone number, no link to the information he did have. She had closed him out, and he had no idea why. Her career came first? What did that mean? Why couldn't it work? She said they wouldn't work out, and that was the reason. She was putting her career first.
When Tony was a younger man, relationships had been simple. No ties, no emotions. He got what he wanted and he got out, consequences be damned. When he finally began to bond with someone, trouble caught up with him and his reckless lifestyle pulled him away without him ever realizing just what he would miss because of it.
Now he had son he had never known, from a woman he had never loved. Never had the chance to. He shut off for years after giving up his teenage angst, becoming a responsible adult. A few dates, a crush or two, some fleeting nights. But nothing serious. With Suri, though, things had been different. He felt himself connect with her. He cared about what she said and what she did. He cared about her being happy and, even more than that, being the one to make her so.
He had failed, and he had no idea what it was he did wrong. He couldn't believe what she had written. It was not that simple, was it? And if it was, if it really, had he just been fooling himself the whole time? Setting himself up for a disappointment neither of them could prepare for. Had he expected too much of her? Too little? Had he not been attentive enough? Too much? He didn't know, and he would have to stop asking. He must have filled her inbox at this point.
So he turned off his computer and sank into his routine. Work. Patrol. He maintained his days off from both, when he needed to, one day to himself amidst a week of chaos and being constantly busy. He chose to spend it with a bottle of scotch. He was alone in the house, save for Dogby, who was curled on his chest as he sprawled on the sofa with a glass in his hand.
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Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 12:26 pm
After their adventure in her closet Kyndall hadn't heard word one from Tony. She tried to catch him patrolling tonight and didn't see him anywhere near the library. She was her guide, her mentor, her Yoda. He wasn't supposed to take a day off without telling her! So barring him being at the library where she'd already checked she assumed he'd be at home. By the car parked there she thought he was inside. It wasn't like he'd be on foot on a night like this.
She knocked on the door and heard scuffling inside. She took a chance and found the door unlocked and poked her head in. "Tony?" Her body followed slowly without a clear answer. "Tony, are you in here?" It took her a minute or two to get her bearings and she headed into his living room, finding him there on the couch with Dogby and a glass in hand. She could guess what was in it...or used to be in it.
"Good God you look awful! What the hell happened?"
She’d been on her date with Dave and it had gone well. She could see where they could connect and where they couldn’t. He was a nice guy and in the end it had been a fun night but she wasn’t in a hurry to feel for anyone. She wasn’t in a hurry to feel the way Tony felt now, setting herself up for inevitable heartbreak. Her feelings for Tony had not been forced or encouraged – they’d simply happened. And there was nothing she could do about it now. She simply had to feel it and wait for it to pass.
She came and knelt by his side, more than a little concerned for her friend. She didn’t know this side of him that took to alcohol but she knew enough that he had to be upset by something. She reached up to pet Dogby, knowing she probably shouldn't have barged into his house as it was technically trespassing and she probably shouldn't be putting herself into his personal life against his will.
Strange what could happen in a few scant days.
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Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 1:00 am
Tony looked up at her, though she was upside down to him, squinting at her in wonder. How had she got in? He had gone to check the mail in a drunken stupor and must have forgotten to lock the door again behind him. It didn't really matter, though. It wasn't like a youma had just walked into his house. In fact, it was someone he was rather glad to see.
He smiled dumbly at her.
"Good morning," he said, though he was fairly sure it was no where near morning at this point, and he hadn't been sleeping. Details, details. Things he didn't have and didn't care about. Or at least, he did not want to.
When she said he looked awful he grunted.
"I got in a fight with the liquid in this bottle. Don't worry, I'm winning." His voice was slurred and his eyes were blurry. Clearly he had quite a lot of the scotch he was referring to, though he did not seem to be fall down, incoherent, or stupidly drunk. At least not yet. He took a breath and sat up, getting a bit of a head rush.
His useless guard dog had only jumped down from him to run over to Kyndall so she could say hi. Or she would have, if her legs had been just a little longer. Instead, she ended up struggling to jump, then falling down into Tony's lap as he sat up.
"Why are you here? Do you need help?" he looked at her skeptically, confused, but mostly worried. "If something's wrong I'll help, I just need some coffee."
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Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 1:17 am
"You look awful." she repeated, staring at him like he'd turned foreign in the last few minutes. She stayed kneeling to try and be on eye level with him. In the state he was in he wouldn't be useful to anyone. She happily pet Dogby and then gingerly took the glass and the liquor bottle from its owner's hand. He'd had quite enough in her opinion and drinking alone was NEVER a good sign of anything. It wasn't good things he was dwelling on, obviously. His smile, which she would usually find charming, was lost on her as she shook her head at him.
"It's only nearing ten, Tony. You're completely wasted and I'm guessing you had no desire to return my phone calls the last day or two?"
She had no idea what was wrong or why he felt the compulsory need to pick a fight with a bottle of aged scotch. Whatever it was it was enough to send her hair on edge and raise her heckles. She brushed off questions of trouble. The only trouble she'd found was here with him. She'd expected to find him hurt, not drunk.
"Everything's alright. I'm not hurt. I'm worried about you." That much, at least, was honest. "I think I'll brew you that coffee anyway. You'll have one hell of a hangover tomorrow at this rate."
If she knew what he was drinking for she might have advocated it. But she didn't. She just knew he was losing the fight to inebriation. She scooped Dogby up to afford her proper attention, having missed the pup something terrible. She didn't see the Corgy often enough in her opinion. She looked down and talked love talk to the wriggling thing she was holding, petting her all the while.
"What's happened?" she asked again, finally addressing the owner once more.
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Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 2:09 am
"Only ten? Boy, it's going to be a long night," he sighed, eying her as she took his alcohol from him. He frowned at her, tilting his head and then decided he would try pouting. Looking pathetic usually helped him when he was in a jam.
And that jam at the moment was her taking his scotch from him.
"No, no, forget the coffee. If you're not in trouble then why not take a break? I know you're new, but you should enjoy time if you have it. Let's go to the bar. It's not too far from here. We can walk, nice and safe."
He ignored her question about what had happened. He didn't want to share, at least not yet. Not because he didn't want to talk to her about it, because he did. Maybe he was being jealous or bitter because she had gone on a date recently, and his personal life had fallen apart. It hardly seemed fair, though, to drag her down if she had fun. And he didn't want to hear about it.
He smiled at her, trying to ease the tension.
Dogby was all for the attention, kicking her stumpy feet and rubbing herself against Kyndall as best she could, whining happily and giving her little licks on the face. She loved the cuddles, and since tony had been a bit of a lump tonight she was fairly starved.
"Come on, I don't feel like being sober tonight."
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Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 1:54 pm
"Alright." she relented. "But only because I'm fairly sure you'll manage to kill yourself if I don't keep you in line. My choice."
She had no intention of taking him somewhere dark and seedy so he could sulk about something he obviously wasn't interested in sharing. She'd be babysitting the drunk, something she hadn't done in a long time. The last time she'd been drunk it had been while Harmony was gone and she'd engaged in some drunken kisses with Able-May. She hadn’t told anyone about them and wasn’t about to do it now. She was just thankful to be the designated driver.
She still hadn't called Able-May to see where they stood. She probably should considering she liked her a lot even after the kisses.
“You are so pitiful.” She teased.
He looked adorable pouting but she set the bottles aside anyway. If it didn’t work with her daughter it wouldn’t work for him. She didn’t mention the date she had set for the following night, judging that this was not the time or the place for that. Instead she helped him to his feet, setting Dogby aside before she did and let him lean on her as she led him out to her car.
“You realize how unfair it is that you’re making me stay sober because you’re determined to be drunk, yes? At least the place I have in mind I can have some fun.”
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 1:22 am
Tony looked a little indignant as she called him pitiful. He was not sure he agreed. He was a knight, after all. Knights weren't pitiful, they were awesome. That, by extension, meant he was awesome. No questions. When he was drunk, his mental capacity was severely diminished, and it seemed he reverted to a much young mind frame. Rather like his son, though neither would ever admit it, whether they noticed or not.
Drunk as he was, Tony didn't notice.
"You are miserably sober, I agree," he said, shaking his head. "We'll walk, come on, why should you miss the fun? It's not far and we can have fun, come on."
He needed some fun. He was forgetting why, which was exactly what he had wanted in the first place. Complete distraction, an escape from what hurt and what he did not understand. Was that not how most people dealt with things like this anyway? He didn't know. He didn't take note of how other people wallowed in their personal miseries.
"I don't want to go to where ever you want to go," he said petulant, having no way to know that he didn't want to go but saying it anyway. If there was booze there, chances were good he wanted to go.
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 1:56 am
Fun was what she had in mind. It was the sober part she was currently questioning. He was certainly keen on having things his way right now. She had no reason to want to deny him other than she'd be forced to watch and there wasn't a dive bar in the world interesting enough to make sobriety worth it. And she had a feeling they'd be closing down whatever joint they chose to go to. He was ready to close out the night and she'd probably be staying with him to make sure he made it to sunlight safely.
"I'm taking you to a bar I like." she told him, unlocking the passenger side of the car with the click of a button. She figured he'd be more apt to go if she told him there was more booze involved. And the karaoke Saturday night ran from 9 to 2am. She'd have a drink or two and sing and he'd drown himself in scotch and beer. Sound plan. Reasonable. As she got in the car and started the ignition she explained her choice at sobriety.
"I'm driving, Tony, and I certainly can't do that drunk. Besides, if neither one of us has any good sense there's no telling what might happen. That girlfriend of yours won't be pleased if I let something bad happen to you."
She'd never forgive herself either if something happened to him on her watch. Obviously he needed a friend. She started driving toward the place she had in mind. It wasn't far and it was easy to find. When she parked she smiled. The place looked the same though she hadn't been here in a while. She could already hear music inside but not the singing that went with it. Part of her was excited to get out and do something social in a setting like this. She hadn't in far too long for her own tastes.
"Welcome to Louie's."
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 5:54 pm
Tony grumbled, but limped his way to her car and got in when she opened the door. He looked at her as she rounded the car, grinning at the idea that they were going to a bar, at least. He hadn't brought his cane, but he was walking well enough without it.
"Well that's why I wanted to walk!" He protested, though it would have taken them a very long time to walk with him stumbling, and the distance they were going. He didn't seem to mind though, as he didn't know where they were going. He chuckled.
He shifted toward the window, looking out it like a forlorn dog when she mentioned his girlfriend. He didn't say anything after that, though he desperately wanted a drink now. He got out of the car when they parked, looking at the bar and frowning at it thoughtfully.
"What kind of a place is this?" he asked. He had never been to Louie's before, but he usually hit the dive bars closest to his home.
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 7:15 pm
"I used to come here all the time back when I sang often. It's still one of the only places I'm comfortable singing in public anymore."
She hoped by now he realized it was a karaoke bar. Or, rather, the usual karaoke DJ was in tonight and tomorrow night as usual. Friday and Saturday nights were her nights when Mrs. Lowell agreed to be within reach of a phone for Harmony as a tween. She smiled at the patrons coming in and going out. Some were new and some were familiar to her. At least the DJ was the same and had been since she'd barely turned twenty one, probably longer than that. Saul probably still remembered her usual selections.
She came round and got Tony, grabbing his arm and smiling. She'd promised to keep him safe and let him drink but she didn't promise to be bored by it. And she didn't promise to remain wholly sober. They'd be here to closing. She could probably stand a beer or two. Besides, the idea of performing for a crowd was beginning to excite her. She forgot how much being a performer was a part of her being and she so seldom did anything like this anymore. Leave it to Tony to bring her to it on accident. If nothing else she'd owe him thanks for that when this was all said and done.
"Come on!" She was bright and youthful and exuberant in a way he hadn't seen yet.
When they got inside the DJ immediately spotted her, presumably by her hair color, and came over. A man was on stage belting out a hit by Metallica...poorly. She hugged Saul and introduced him to her companion and the man promised to get her up next. When she frowned he promised it was one of her regulars but she'd have to be surprised by which one it was. She laughed and promised she'd do it before turning back to Tony. They had about a minute by the sound of it.
"To the bar?" she suggested lightly.
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 9:54 pm
Tony was slowly beginning to understand where she had taken him. All the singing seemed to be a pretty obvious sign, after all. And the actual sign on the bar. That helped him, too.
He looked at her, frowning.
As she yanked on his arm he stumbled after her, suddenly wondering if he was supposed to be sober for this, or far more drunk. He was certainly not the right level of intoxicated at the moment, either way.
Her attitude was convincing, though, and he smiled at her playfulness. It cut through his grumpy mood, at least, and he smiled at her without having to force it, and without the drunken giddiness that came with the booze he had already taken in. For a second there, he actually forgot why he was at the bar in the first place, which was the whole point.
Though, if he had his way, he'd be forgetting the whole night come morning.
Nodding at this Saul fellow, puffing up his chest in a manly way. He then looked at Kyndall as Saul moved away, puffing out his breath and slumping a bit. "Yes, to the bar. Where else?" he asked, walking with her to the promised land. "Are you going to sing?"
Tony was a little slow when drunk.
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 10:18 pm
Kyndall didn't mind him being slow as she led him deeper into the dark bar. She missed the noise and the stale smell of beer and pizza and the general ramble of pool and chatter underneath the music. She leaned on the bar and caught the eye of one of the regular bar tenders who came over after a few minutes. She didn't remember his name. Keeping Tony next to her she grinned at the man come to wait on them.
"Beer and a blow job." she ordered, thinking to fluster her drunk companion.
A shot in the beginning of the night wouldn't kill her. When the beer came she passed it off to him. When the shot came she threw him a playful look over her shoulder and then put her hands behind her back. She bent over and picked up the shot with just her mouth and tilted her head back much to the amusement of those close by. Silly, perhaps, but the traditional way to take the shot. The liquor burned nicely down her throat soothed by the whipped cream on top. She took the empty glass from her lips and set it down, seeming very pleased with herself.
"I haven't had one of those in a long time." she admitted to him over the noise. Metallica was coming to a noisy conclusion and sure enough her name was called next in answer to his question. She walked up on stage and took the microphone he handed her, wondering just what the hell he had going for her to sing. But the moment the first beat sounded she turned back and smiled gratefully at Saul. One of her regulars, indeed. She loved this song!
"Mississippi in the middle of a dry spell. Kenny rogers on the Victrola on high."
She was clearly at home on stage, melting easily into the sultry song and gaining attention. Still, she sang with her eyes locked on him across the room, performing for his benefit. He'd never seen what she could do, what she loved, and this was the heart of that. This was why she cared about the arts: this joy. It was what she'd always wanted to do with herself.
"Black Velvet and that little boy's smile. Black Velvet in that slow Southern style. A new religion that can bring you to your knees."
As she sang she weaved her way through the crowd, flirting with a few odd tables and generally getting the crowd worked into it. When she got to him she pressed his back to the bar and her back to his chest, sliding down and back up with the last line she sang.
"Black Velvet if you please..."
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 10:45 pm
If Tony had been drinking she would have had a beautiful spit take as a result of her words. Instead, she had a deer in headlights looking at her, and then a gruff laugh as he tried to man up and pretend he hadn't been so obviously flustered by her statement.
He took it as a challenge, and looked at the bartender. He did not have cushion of knowing him as she did, but that was fine by him.
"I'll have what she's having."
The bartender ignored him completely, not thinking him funny and not awarding his masterfully placed movie reference with any kind of attention. He frowned and looked away, then caught his beer as it was put on the counter. As he was distracted by drinking, he didn't see her slip away from him until she was on the stage. His eyebrows lifted and he listened to her.
It was unclear if her voice sobered him or made him more intoxicated, but it had an effect on him for sure. he watched her, tilting his head to the side and smiling as he saw that she had a deep passion for singing. Why did she only do it in bars, then? That was what she said, or he thought it was, wasn't it?
When she reached him he stumbled back against the bar, blinking at her. He dumbly clapped as she finished the song, lingering close to her.
"That was pretty good," he said softly.
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 11:08 pm
She gave him a wink and went back to deliver the microphone to applause. Inside she was laughing at how completely flustered he was and how helpless he'd looked over everything she was doing. Song number one was down and she had plans for others. Duets, perhaps. Oh she'd certainly get him on stage at some point but right now she wanted a drink. A real one.
"Beer please." She put herself back at the bar and took a tall amber. "Should we find a table?" she asked him, wondering just what it was he planned on doing now besides drinking himself into a stupor. That was fun and all well and good in its way, she supposed, but there were other things they could focus on, too. Like talking. Or more singing. Or pool. Or really anything. This was their night out and she was having fun. She glowed with joy and excitement, even now.
No matter what the beer in her hand needed to be taken slow. If she drank it too quickly she'd get close to a point where she wouldn't care about getting drunk and that would do neither of them any good. Besides, he had enough of a head start for the both of them. She slid her hand into his and tugged him to the quietest corner of the room, quieter than anywhere else because of the wall leading out of the building. They were on the other side of it fairly secluded and noise buffered by the physical block.
"Should I get you a pitcher?"
She wasn't going to press him for details just yet though it was on the tip of her tongue. She hadn't noticed the quiet in the car because she thought he'd been dozing from the booze. She sat next to him, toying with her glass in her hands, wanting to drink it all and not wanting to get drunk. Some internal alarm told her it was best not to do that considering. She shook away the thought with a nod of her head.
"Thanks for the compliment, by the way. You should come up there with me next time."
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 11:28 pm
"yes, a table," he said, leaning on the bar still. He wasn't sure he could walk but he didn't mind that at the moment. He watched her, curious, draining his beer quickly.
His mind was spinning. Pleasantly.
"You have a beautiful voice," he told her, walking with her as she pulled him into a quiet corner. He smiled at her offer and nodded his head. "I think we both could use one."
They could just pick up her car in the morning. Take a cab back home. Or hell, power up and get there themselves. It didn't matter to him: he was up for anything. He laughed and nodded his head a few extra times for good measure. Just so she knew he really would like a pitcher.
"You want me to sing with you? i will ruin your performance. All your adoring fans would turn on you in an instant." He shook his head, laughing at the very idea.
Maybe if he had more to drink... but that wasn't really necessary. He was nice and drunk, and was mostly just kidding about not joining her. One little push and he would be up there belting his heart out. Hopefully not to a song that would encourage him to take his shirt off.
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