Sin and Lies [The Nexus]

[stark_ravingmad]

Tony had managed to find a round table big enough to accommodate many of the inhabitants of the Nexus so that they may sit around the large table together. The location was The Viper's Pit which was very apt considering the conversation would be around sin and past sins.

His life was full of them and he was practically up to his neck in debauchery. He made sure there were enough chairs for now and he could always add more if more showed up. Would anyone show up? He was hoping his little meet-up would encourage people to talk about what sins they had committed in their life.

"Well. Let's just hope you get filled up, buddy."

Sliding his hand along the sheen of the table, he placed two jugs of ice cold water down with added glasses for a start. Hey, he was being good. If others wanted alcohol, they could order at the bar. He wasn't about to commit to one of his greatest sins whilst trying to remain off the wagon.

Comments

[iamjustvisiting]

Tommy had been hiding away in a single room since arriving in the Nexus weeks ago. It was hard to shake the last year of his life. He's still not all together but he ran out of gin.

Gin is a reason enough to leave the dark cold room. By the time he gets to the Viper's Pit he's annoyed from the heat and walking. He's abnormally tall and thin, with elfin features and red orange hair. His eyes are too large compared to human features and he has no fingernails, though there is a general sense of the uncanny valley when looking at Tommy, sometimes people can't place it his alienness as such.

He goes right to the bar and buys and entire bottle of gin. The only reason he ends up at Tony's table is because it is closest. His joints are hurting too much to walk farther.

He ignores the human and focuses on the bottle of gin. Once it is open he lifts it to pour a glass, gives up and just chugs the whole bottle. The waitress looks concerned when he asks for a second one, but concedes. He's not the first person she's seen with superhuman tolerances.

[stark_ravingmad]

Tony almost did a double take when he watched the rather strange-looking guy walk into the tavern and order his drink. It was when he started chugging the whole bottle of gin that caused Tony to just stare and wonder how the hell the guy could still be standing. He'd tried that once himself and had ended up near paralytic.

"Thirsty, pal? I once tried drinking a whole bottle of vodka and woke up in ER with a few annoyed looking people in scrubs."

He had his stomach pumped and days after that had a hell of a hangover. Worst in his entire life. That would teach him to try and dare his friends to drink a whole bottle of spirits. Of course, this was years back when he was at the MIT. He was a foolish, young college boy with too much money and not enough sense. This guy? He was different. Maybe it was the eyes. They were huge. He didn't look quite human.

[iamjustvisiting]

"No." The word comes flat, delivered in an odd tone that is reminiscent of a TV announcer, over-practiced. The mention of an ER gets a uncomfortable gaze. If Tony watches closely he might see it when Tommy blinks, his eyelids are semi-transparent. There's slight haze to his eyes too, the color looks not as bright or crisp as it should. This was from his eye damage but he wasn't completely blind.

When the next bottle comes he pours a glass, but instead of drinking it, slides it dexterously across the table to Tony. That was what humans were supposed to do at bars, though here, he didn't know why he still care about looking human. Maybe overall it would still be safer.

The second bottle Tommy does pour into a rocks glass to drink slowly.

[stark_ravingmad]

Ok, so the guy wasn't very talkative. That was fine with Tony, even if this meeting being arranged was to discuss past sins. Perhaps this guy just wanted to get to know people first before opening up and talking. Either way, he was the only one who had showed so far. The guy though? He was something.

Tony catches the glass being slid along to him by the guy and offered him a polite nod. How was this going to play out? Were they just going to look at each other, drink and not say many words? Yeah. No. Tony was going to have to break the ice somewhere along the line here.

"You here to talk about your past sins? Because I set this table up for a discussion. I mean, if it isn't your deal then that's fine."

He was going easy with this guy because he could drink. As in really drink. More than Tony and that was saying something.

[iamjustvisiting]

Tommy looked up from drinking when addressed with a question. He's slow in action but paying attention, the kind of attention that feels like it is boring a hole into someone. The unblinking gaze lingers on the man across from him.

It was such an odd question, but it reminded him of Mary Lou and her obsession with going to church. He sets his drink aside.

"I would have to believe in God to have sins. God might bring people comfort but I don't think one exists."

Maybe that wasn't the answer that the other man wanted but that was what he had to give. Sure, his culture had morality and he had integrated various parts of human morality, but to Tommy these were more social niceties than religion.

[stark_ravingmad]

"Yeah, there is the matter of the big guy up there. But anyone can have sins even if they're not religious. I know I'm going straight down to Hell, but if they've got hot girls and sports cars down there I'm in."

Tony filled a glass with iced water and raised a glass to his new friend, downing a chilled gulp. Not bad. Yeah, it was bland but it was water. What did he expect?

"That's the big question though, isn't it? Is there anyone up there or is it just something we've all been programmed into thinking? Hell if I know."

Wasn't life just one big rollercoaster that you had one big ride then it was all over? That was how Tony viewed it since it had been more than once that the Grim Reaper had tried to take his soul before. His heart problem then there was the whole being an Avenger and saving the world thing.

[iamjustvisiting]

"Are you religious?" He asks with some curiosity. Mary Lou used to always drag him to church. "Or do you believe you're damned to somewhere you don't really believe exists?"

On the list of odd things he's heard from humans, believing you would be condemned to a place they didn't think exists followed the pattern. Tommy is sticking to gin for the moment.

"We are up there." Tommy comments flatly. "It was us; your Gods, your language. You weren't even Homo sapiens yet and it was there from our visits."

It was a simple truth for Tommy. His great-great grandparents had been part of the exploratory mission to Earth. Among the first Antheans to see the blue and green ball that was millions of miles away.