2010-04-01: Brandy's Manly

Starring:

Nathan2_V4icon.pngTori_V4icon.png

Date: April 1, 2010

Summary:

All those St. Bernards can't be wrong! There is much drinking between these two former pub workers, who can't seem to hold their liquor.


"Brandy's Manly"

Tori's Apartment

Tori's place is certainly not the fanciest that Nathan will ever see — it's a tiny one-bedroom apartment, decorated in whatever yard-sale furniture and decor she could find that didn't look too broken down or out of style. She still uses her power to get a bit of cash if she's strapped, but for the most part, she's making due on the little bit of financial aid she gets and what's left of the money she had prior to coming across the Atlantic.

Tori herself is cooking dinner while she waits for him to arrive. Nothing fancy — everyone likes pasta. She's made it for them before, back in Ireland when they were a pair of thieves. But now she knows he's Italian, maybe it's not good enough. After all, what's a British girl know about making spaghetti? She laughs a little at herself — he's still Brayden, her chum. There's no reason to be nervous just because he also happens to be a senator.

There's a rap on the apartment door after Nathan's approach. He sighs heavily. Unlike before, he's not wearing his helmet, but he is wearing his black jacket. He fidgets in front of the door, peering up and down the hall to ensure no one is coming or following him. It's trying being a Senator-fugitive, but it's his lot in life. At least for now. Fortunately he can fly from one destination to the next, it makes the whole fugitive thing a little easier as he can avoid people along the way.

Peering through the peephole to ensure it's him, Tori opens the door and looks at him for a moment. She looks the same, though her hair's a touch shorter, still in a sassy bob. She's dressed a little less ruggedly than the first time he met her when she was travelling through Ireland. Today she's in black capris and red ballet flats, a black and white striped shirt — very Audrey Hepburnesque. After a moment of looking at him, a smile bursts across her face and she hugs him tightly.

The hug is returned equally tightly. "Good to see you, kid," Nathan says sincerely with a broad grin. "It's good to see a friendly face." His eyes twinkle with a familiar mischief. Something about spending time with Tori brings him back to Brayden's glory days. He releases her a few moments later and offers her a broad grin. "You're doing okay? Taking care of yourself?" He raises both of his eyebrows.

She smirks. "As much as I can," she says, nodding into the apartment. Glancing down the hall, she closes the door behind them both. She knows what it's like to be on the run. "It's good to see you too. And not just a face on the television or a magazine. Those don't look like you — not the you I know." It's not said in chastisement, but honesty. "The leather's a little more Brayden, maybe," she says with a smirk. "Food should be done in a couple of minutes. Can I get you a drink or anything?"

"Good. You look like you're doing well considering school…" Nathan glances around the apartment before shooting Tori a knowing smile. "And thanks. Those pictures don't feel like me anymore," he admits with a small shrug. "In a way I'm just used to smiling at the camera with little thought that went into it." He hmmms, "A scotch would be great if you have it. Or… water if you don't." He smirks.

She heads to a cabinet in the kitchen and grabs a bottle an a tumbler, pouring him his drink. She didn't work at a bar for nothing! She has a well-stocked bar — or, cabinet, anyway. She brings him the glass and smiles. "School's fine. It's only a couple of classes, since it's grad work. Lots of reading and papers." The coffee table is littered with books and a laptop. "So you look pretty good for supposedly being all sickly and such. I'm glad you're not sick, of course, but it's rather annoying that you need that fake story." Annoying is putting it mildly. "Take a seat." She nods to the little living room area of the apartment.

"Thanks," Nathan says in reference to the class as he sits down on the little couch in the living room. "I'm glad school's good for you. What are you taking anyways?" He chuckles at the notion of being sick, "I'm obviously not sick, and none of that was my idea, but when you're a fugitive, you can't really protest, you know?" He winks at her before taking a sip of his scotch. "But New York's being good to you? I'm sorry, I changed the topic again…"

Tori chuckles, moving to sit on the chair facing the couch. "An entire class on James Joyce and another on lit theory," she says with a smirk. "Go figure, I live Ireland and come here to study Joyce, right? The irony." She watches for a moment, and nods. "I like it here. There's anonymity that makes me feel safe, even if that … whatever she is found me." Cody. "I'm trying not to be a criminal here, though I confess I've taken some spending cash here and there. People shouldn't leave their money in locker rooms, you know? And I won't pry — go ahead and change the topic if I get to close to anything that's not okay to talk about."

"You don't need to pry. I think you ought to know what's going on here, and it's good you stay under the radar. I'm glad you're not using your ability too much." Not that Nathan minds much about thievery anymore. "If you need help… Brayden's accounts are fuller than I ever remembered." He smirks. "Stashing it away for a rainy day or something. I swear, I stole for the fun of it and nothing else… well that and loyalty to folks, you know?" Absently he puts his hand over his arm where his tattoo is (of course, it's under layers of clothing).

Tori smiles. "No, you have a family," she reminds him, like he needs reminding of such. "If you're in hiding, and if you can't work, keep it for them. I'm resourceful. I'll find a way to make ends meet. And luckily my power isn't one that shows, so to speak, so if I have to use it, it's not too noticeable. Yours is a bit more … flagrant." She gets up. "Let me grab the food. Still like spaghetti and meatballs?"

"I know. The kids and Heidi are fine. So is Claire." Nathan blinks a few times before sighing heavily and sipping at his scotch again. "You think someone would notice a flying Senator?" he jokes with a broad grin. "I… the government took me because of it, you know. I told you that, right? I was never sick." He clucks his tongue before shaking his head. "And I'm not going to stand by and let them do that to people. Not to anyone." He issues her a smile and a nod at the notion of food though, "I LOVE spaghetti and meatballs! It's like the best food on the face of the planet…"

"You always were agreeable," Tori says from the kitchen where she's straining noodles and then ladeling out spaghetti sauce and fat meatballs. It's homemade, if not authentic Italian cooking. She brings two plates over and sets them down on the coffee table, then returns with two wine glasses and a bottle of chianti. "Donno if you want some wine, but I think it goes better than Scotch. Can't get your ethnicities that mixed up, right?" She flashes a grin and sits across from him on the ground. She pours two glasses and then sets down the bottle. "I wonder if the government back home knows about these powers," she muses. "You have any idea? If other governments are aware?"

"Tell that to my Mother and brother," Nathan murmurs when Tori disappears into the kitchen. "I love wine, and you're right, not too much mixing of the ethnicities at dinner. Besides, it's booze, right?" He winks. "I have no idea if other governments know anything. They're dealing people to terrorists overseas which means other people know, I just don't how far it all goes…"

"Dealing people. That is so wrong. I'll be more careful with my power then. I don't think anyone here but you knows about it, at least," she says quietly. Hers is a subtle power, but in the wrong hands, it could be dangerous — as long as those hands (and hers) got themselves on something that had fingerprints to tell her a story. The Brit picks up one of the wine glasses and clinks it against his. "Well, to old friends," she says, then takes a sip, before setting it down.

"To old friends," Nathan agrees with a slight smile before taking a sip of his own. "Well I won't tell anyone. No… I'd take it to the grave." He bites his bottom lip as he studies the glass of wine a little longer. "I… I… think you should know that my time in Ireland was so great in a big part because of you. You're a good kid, Tori…" His eyebrows furrow.

Tori raises a brow as Nathan gets serious on her. "Ah, the irony of a legislator telling a thief that she is a good kid. This is one screwy world, Brayden. Nathan. I'm never going to get that right on the first try, you know," she says lightly, picking up a fork and twirling it around her pasta. "But if it hadn't been for you, I probably wouldn't have stayed as long as I had. So right back at you. The rest of Europe, the longest I ever stayed anywhere was a week or two. Didn't really make any friends."

Nathan smirks, "It's not that screwy." He chuckles, "Especially considering it's a legislator who happens to know how to pick a lock." His smile fades, however, "No matter what you say, it's true. You're smart. You'll go far in life — with or without your ability. I know you can." He raises his glass to his lips again before smiling, "And thanks. It was so easy living that life. Sometimes I crave those craggy cliffs…"

Her eyes narrow a touch, though she smirks in amusement. "Quit acting like an old man, Bray." She's not even going to try to correct herself, apparently, and call him Nathan. "As nice as it is to hear the encouragement," she adds with a chuckle. "You can always go back. Maybe not for as long, since you have people to take care of here, but the cliffs will always be there."

"Yeah. They'll always be there," Nathan smiles weakly before sipping at his wine again if only to hide behind it. "I hope I'll get to see them again. I would seriously love that." His lips curl into a smaller, almost regretful smile. "Make sure you go back sometime. I know it probably doesn't mean the same thing to you as it did me, but Cork had a certain gangbanger peace about it." He chuckles. It's quite the juxtaposition, gangbanger peace, but that's the way it goes sometimes.

"Gangbanger peace," Tori repeats, taking a bite of the pasta and chewing as she chuckles. "No, it might not mean the same, but it meant something, still. Kind of the opposite probably. You were enjoying a life of crime and a simpler way of life than you have here. For me, it was … safety. I ran away from bad times in England. I had to leave my family and my friends. And I found another family. New friends." She smiles a little sadly up at him. "I don't have that here, not yet. I could probably go back to London, but I'd rather wait til the statute of limitations passes there. Which won't be for quite some time."

"It's safer here for you. Stick around for awhile, get schooling, and then… one day you'll be back there. And you have at least… one friend here," Nathan smiles wryly, especially as he doesn't know how long she'll have her friend here. "You got me out of more than one bind back in the day…" he smirks "…that basically cements friendship for life." He purses his lips together. "Look, if they ever learn about you, I want you to get in touch with me or a friend of mine. I'll get her contact info to you another day. But there are safehouses for people like us…"

She nods. "I'm here on the student's visa, and hope to turn it into a work one when that's through. Even if I weren't worried about the police, there's still Prescott to worry about." Her ex, the one who wanted to murder her. "I'll be okay. How could they find out, anyway? It's not like my power shows." She shrugs off the worry, but smiles at him in appreciation.

"Touche," Nathan says as he twirls spaghetti on his fork. He takes a bite of the pasta. "Mmmmm. Delicious." He grins broadly. "You always did a good job at spaghetti. Especially with meatballs. I need to try those though." With a heavy sigh he hmmmms, "There's no chance Prescott would come here, is there?"

"Only if it dawned on him that not being in the country was a good idea, but frankly I don't give him too much credit, you know? It was kind of his idea, the whole heist, but I was the brains of the operation. I doubt he'd come all the way here just to kill me." Her words are spoken in light and non-chalant tones, though it's taken some time to speak of that part of her past so flippantly. "And if he showed up — I mean, what's worse, robbery or murder? He wanted to kill me to keep me from having my share of the money, and he got almost all of that as it was. There's no reason for him to come after me, unless just out of … spite."

Nathan hmmms as he takes another bite of his pasta. "Well let's hope he doesn't have spite then." He winks and then suppresses a sigh. "Have you thought about tracking him down just to make sure he's nowhere around here…?" His lips flicker into a small grin.

Tori frowns a little and shakes her head, looking away. "I would guess he's using a different name if he's still in England, or he got out of dodge like I did. I doubt he'd be in New York of all places. What would the odds of that be?" she asks, perhaps naively. The world they live in is full of strange coincidences. After all, Nathan is a senator here, of all places — she thought he'd gone to California. "I wouldn't worry about it, Bray. I'll be fine. You don't have to add me to the list of people you have to protect, all right?" she says with a smile, reaching over and pushing his knee playfully. "I'm not one of your kids."

"I'll try not to worry. And I know you're not one of them, but — " Nathan shrugs. "Worrying comes naturally. I'm a New Yorker, we're born and bred to do it." At this he grins broadly, before shovelling more pasta into his mouth. "And remember you're good people, no matter what." And this he nods. "Your cooking alone should shoe you in for a Nobel Peace Prize. This is good!"

"I don't think they give a Peace Prize for spaghetti, and I only know how to make like three things. Spaghetti, bangers and mash, and shepherd's pie. You've had all three, so we have no surprises left in our friendship, I'm afraid, until I learn to make something new," Tori says with a grin. "I'll be okay. I promise. I didn't survive all we did in Cork just to come here and have some crazy ex boyfriend murder me. Or some government program sell me to Iraq or something."

"Mmmmmmm. I love bangers and mash! I'm pretty sure that would be bad for a Senator to be caught eating. Meh. The whole political deal is okay, but it's got nothing on thievery and smuggling…" Nathan finishes his plate of pasta and his glass of wine before sighing heavily. "You would fail in Iraq. So would I. Too hot! Well and then there's that whole being sold as a human weapon thing," he can feel himself easing back into his less stressed Irish personality the longer he lingers here.

"It just sounds dirty. If your American public can't handle the thought of you eating bangers, they need to lighten up. But then, you Yanks are rather prim when it comes to naughty stuff," Tori teases, standing. "You want more food or just more wine?" she asks with a wink, picking up the plate to either clear or refill it.

"Well, I'm pretty full of pasta," Nathan says slowly as he smiles easily. "Wine maybe?" his eyes twinkle with a hint of mischief. "I'm not driving home." He's flying. So much better. "And you know what they say: 'Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die."

She laughs and clears the plates to the kitchen, returning to pick up the wine bottle and refill their glasses. She picks up hers and moves to the sofa beside him, flopping down and clinking her glass against his again. She stretches her legs out on to table as she takes a sip of the drink, looking like she should be sipping a mai tai in Fiji instead. "Flying drunk is probably just as bad, if not worse, of an idea. You might hit a pigeon this time. Flying rats." She smirks.

"Yeah. Hitting a bird didn't exactly help the whole memory situation. Of course, I lost my memory before that happened…" Nathan shrugs again as he stretches his legs out onto the table and yawns heavily. "Pigeons really are flying rats," he muses as he brings his glass to his lips. "Everyday should begin and end with a glass of wine. I bet there would be less war in the world if people drank more…"

"Red wine is good for your cholesterol, too," Tori says helpfully, turning a tiny giddy after one full glass, the warm flush upon her cheeks that comes with wine for her. "I remember hearing someone once say that they should 'bomb' warring countries with marijuana to chill everyone out. That everyone would forget what they were fighting about and just get stoned." She glances over at Brayden/Nathan and giggles. "Don't worry. I'm not suggesting that a senator do pot. And I certainly would never stoop to such a thing. It was just a funny antidote. Antidoke. Anecdote!" Yeah, she's a lightweight.

"I did pot when all I remembered was Ireland," Nathan smiles with a sly smile. "And it was as good as everyone had said." He chuckles a bit at Tori's struggle to say the right word. "It is a good anecdote," he says as he pours himself another glass of wine. Unlike Tori, Nate can hold his liquor. In fact, he's always been able to hold his liquor, even moreso after Ireland. He drank a lot, so much easier when being so connected to a pub. "But you're right. A senator doing pot just isn't respectable. Or behaviour befitting a fella in office."

She sips her second glass slowly, and laughs a bit. "It's definitely good to mellow out once in a while. But I can't stand the smell," Tori adds with a grin. "Alcoholism, however, apparently is behavior befitting fellas in office. Or so the Kennedies and others make it seem." She laughs a little, then looks worried. "Wait, are you friends with them? I'm sorry."

Nathan can't help but laugh at the worry. "Friends with the Kennedies? Nah. And you're right, politics breeds alcoholism." He sips at what is his third glass of wine — fourth glass of booze. "And don't even worry about insulting anyone in office, it's all fake anyways," he yawns lazily. "Fake smiles. Fake handshakes. Backroom deals. Even people who want to make a difference get sucked into it, that's what it's designed for…"

His laugh is contagious, though she shakes her head sadly at the rest of his words. "My dad was a barrister… so it is sort of the same thing. Lots of politicking there, too, nothing real. The good thing is my brothers got pushed in that direction but me being a girl, I didn't have to. So I chose something else not real — but more real at the same time, I think, with literature." She takes another swallow of wine, then sets it down on the coffee table, staring at the nearly empty glass. "I hate red wine…"

"And where there's politicking, there's booze," Nathan announces as he refills his glass again. Yup, it's too easy to drink. He sips his wine before observing, "Maybe the bartender should cut me off," and issuing her a dimpled smirk and closing his eyes. "Only true booze hounds drink what they hate." He presses his lips together and relaxes on the chesterfield.

"I like brandy and port much better," Tori says thoughtfully, looking amused as he pours himself another glass. She gets up and heads into the kitchen, her step straight enough though she's a little buzzed, before coming back with another bottle and two new glasses. Brandy time! "You're a grown man. No need to cut you off. And you can sleep on my sofa if you can't fly straight," she says with a smirk as she pours herself a tumbler of brandy. "Mm. Brandy. All those Saint Bernards can't be wrong, right?"

"Of course they can't! Saint Bernards must be right!" Nathan grins as he lifts the bottle of brandy to examine it. "Now this… this is a man's drink. People drink wine to look cultured. People drink brandy because it's awesome." His grin broadens. "Sofas are good," he murmurs with a subdued grin before leaning forward and pouring himself a glass of brandy which he brings to his lips with a chuckle. "Remember that time we found all of those bobblehead geishas full of blow…?"

"Are you calling me manly, Brayden? Because I fucking love brandy way more than I like wine," Tori says with a laugh, tossing back the shot's worth of brandy much faster than she drank the wine. "Oh god. Bobblehead crack whores. That was hilarious." She starts laughing, tilting over to the side until her head falls on his shoulder as she dissolves into giggles.

"If the shoe fits, kid," Nathan snickers as he finishes off another glass of brandy. "This is good stuff. Next time I'll bring liquor. I'm going to drink you out of home if you're not careful." He chuckles before leaning forward and pouring yet another glass of brandy, but he leaves it on the coffee table, choosing to nurse this glass for once. "It really was. I think I left one in Brayden's — my Irish — safety deposit box, but I can't for the life of me remember why…."

"I hope you didn't leave it with the drugs in it…" Tori says, though that amuses her even more and she covers her face with her arm as she laughs all the harder. "I still wish we could have seen the look on whatshisbum's face when he found out he paid for nothing but sunglasses." She sits up and reaches for the bottle to pour another glass that she will drink in a more ladylike manner. "It's crappy brandy, really, but I can't afford the good shit."

"I'll buy you a bottle of the good shit," Nathan says lazily. "But make sure you make me drink the cheap stuff — especially this late in the night. Can't even taste the difference." An easy smile takes over his features. "You're good people, Tori. Gooooooood people. And yeah, I think it still has the blow in it. I should probably do something about that… sometime…" he chuckles a little. "I mean it wouldn't be good if someone found it and connected it to a senator." He snickers again "Can you immmmmagine?"

"It would have been safe except you apparently went telling people your Irish name, you git," Tori tells him, taking another long drink. So much for nursing it. "I thought senators were supposed to be smart… Or wait. Maybe not. Maybe you were just elected because you're cute." Oh, shit. She just told him he was cute. "Fuck. I didn't say that. Forget that I said that."

"A good picture does wonnnnnnnnnnnnders," Nathan muses as he takes another swallow of his drink. He smirks at the notion of being cute. "You think I'm cute?" He quirks an eyebrow. Don't worry, Tori, he'll probably forget in the morning, anyways. "You're a very beautiful girl… no… lady." He nods at this. "Girls are under eighteen, anyone over eighteen but less than thirty is a lady~, and women are over thirty." At this he nods. It's theory and right now it makes perfect sense.

"Um. No. Maybe. I don't know," she fumbles, reaching for the bottle and refilling both glasses like they need anymore. When he compliments her, her cheeks flush more than they already are from her liquor-induced heat flash. "I'm not. I mean, I guess I'm a girl, or a lady, or a woman, but I'm not beautiful but it's rather nice of you to say so," she mumbles, eyes on her glass before she brings it to her lips.

Nathan leans towards her, "Don't say that." He watches her intently for a moment before reaching over to brush her hair behind her ear. "You're beautiful. I always thought that. If it hadn't been for Caitlin…." he drunk smirks and finishes off another glass before placing it on the coffee table. He peers at her again and something happens, all he sees is Claire. His face flushes some. Right. He has a daughter around Tori's age. A DAUGHTER. And then there's Tracy. He shakes his head slightly, "I … think I should go…" At this statement he nods.

Tori's eyes widen a touch and her breath catches when he reaches to touch her — but she knows that look. It goes with the term 'kid' and the fact that he was lecturing her like someone's father. She smiles as he chooses to do the right thing — and she knows from the technological wonder called Google that he's not actually divorced, just separated. She shakes her head.

"No. You can't fly or even walk this drunk. But you're going to sleep. Here on the couch. And I'll sleep in my bed. And we'll be friends when we wake up." She kisses her hand, and presses it to his cheek. "Friends with hangovers," she adds with a rueful grin.

"You know me too well," Nathan murmurs with that same ever-present smirk. "I… yeah. Did I ever tell you I have a daughter your age. You look nothing like her." His smirk broadens, "Buuuuuut I think you're both strong and free-spirited. She reminds me of you. I don't know her very well." He reaches towards her cheek to caress it once more. "You're good people. All four of you…" Yup, he's drunk, definitely too drunk to fly. He leans back against the sofa.

"HA! Nooa hangoversf or mes! I'm like Superman, baaaaabbbby!" Yup, he's starting to slur…

Tori smiles and nods. "You sort of told me about her. It's better we stay just friends," she murmurs, eyes dipping as he touches her cheek again. There is the slightest of shivers. It's been a long time since she's been close to someone. She tilts her face to kiss his hand, then stands. Mildly less drunk than he is, she helps him put his legs up on the couch, and tugs his shoes off. "Let me get you a real pillow and a blanket, Bray. Help yourself to anything if you get up in the night. Except me." She winks at that though it's said a touch reluctantly.

She disappears for a moment, returning with a pillow and a quilt, the former getting tucked under his head and the latter around his body.

"Did I?" Nathan says as his eyebrows knit together and he's easily coaxed in a laying down position. "Thanks Tori," he says in a husky whisper as his eyes close heavily. He's been feeling weary lately, but now he's also drunk. Drunk and weary make for a bad combination. "Have a good —" he murmurs something else, presumably sleep, but he's gone — out like a light.

The young woman stands from tucking in the man that's apparently old enough to be her father — though she never thought of him as such — and just chuckles. "Goodnight, Brayden," she says quietly, leaning down to kiss his cheek lightly. Chastely. She heads into the kitchen to drink a glass of water and take a couple of Tylenol in hopes of keeping the hangover headache from being too fierce in the morning, then disappears alone into her bedroom.


OOC….

<OOC> Nathan says, "I flipped the coin ten times."
<OOC> Tori says, "er it is!"
<OOC> Tori says, "hahahah"
<OOC> Nathan says, "It like came out as no every time!"
<OOC> Tori says, "you so wanted a yes!"
<OOC> Nathan says, "Cody told me to go for it, but then I'm trying to REDEEM Nate."
<OOC> Nathan says, "So…"
<OOC> Nathan says, "Yeah."
<OOC> Tori says, "that's like, rosencrantz and guidenstern are dead coin man"
<OOC> Tori says, "haha"
<OOC> Nathan says, "Our sweet lovins just aren't meant to be my dear!"f

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