4th Gumball - Phone/Action

[connedviakeyboard]

[Well, someone isn't happy now that he's back to normal and away from the effects mint has on him. To say he was embarrassed would be putting it lightly; Benson was out and out ashamed. And he dealt with shame the way he dealt with everything else: by being angry as hell and trying to bottle it up.

Either way? He owed some apologies to people.]

[Phone]

...Look. I know that there were a few people I might've been...uncouth towards, a few days ago. Okay. I guess that's putting it lightly. I was acting like an asshole. And I'm sorry. That's not what I'm usually like. It really, really isn't, and I don't know what came over me. It won't happen again.

[Phone - Filtered to Mordecai]

Yeah, hi.

Let's pretend Valentine's Day didn't happen, alright?

[Action - Outside 507 Ricardo Street]

[If you're going by Ricardo Street today, feel free to notice the man who lives at 507 removing every single potted plant he could find in the house, hell, everything that could conceivably be called vegetable matter, and placing it on the sidewalk. Watch in amazement as he takes out a lighter and proceeds to try and get the plants to catch flame, running back a bit when the fire actually gets started.

He's just going to wait, and watch, as every plant that had previously been in his house burns.]

Comments

[connedviakeyboard]

[Alright then. Going to go ahead and order you a tumbler of whiskey Shadow.]

That better?

[thegoddamnhedgehog]

[Unfortunately, Shadow winds up taking too heavy a swig, gulping it down his throat and coughing almost immediately after. He's quick to steady himself, though, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand before glancing up at Benson. It's incredibly bitter, but there's no challenge Shadow can't face.]

Much.

[connedviakeyboard]

[Jesus. He knew you were a tough guy. Whiskey was something Benson couldn't do too often himself, so he's pretty impressed, especially since he's just been nursing his own beer.]

Jeez. I bet. So is whiskey what you usually drink, or...?

[thegoddamnhedgehog]

No.

[He takes another drink. The whiskey still burns his throat going down but it doesn't feel quite as strong as the first. Benson seems to think of Shadow as a "tough guy," though. Right? Far be it from Shadow to tear that image down.]

...Not usually. What do you find yourself drinking most often?

[This totally isn't a way for Shadow to do a little bit of info-digging, no.]

[connedviakeyboard]

Me?

[Benson swirls his beer around a bit before finishing it off.]

Well, I don't really drink that often. Mainly I stick to beer. Sometimes whiskey or scotch. I don't really do that much exploring or anything. Hell, I never even really drank all that much in college or anything.

[thegoddamnhedgehog]

[He nods, finishing off his whiskey a bit too quickly in order to feel caught up to Benson).]

Shall the two of us explore, then?

[connedviakeyboard]

[Benson looks at the empty glass in front of him, pondering. In most cases, alcohol and him didn't mix very well. He wasn't an angry drunk, but he wasn't a particularly controlled drunk either. And after looking like an ass earlier in the week, he wasn't excited about the possibility of looking like even more of one.

But on the other hand? Why not. He couldn't make that much more of an ass of himself, could he?]

...Heh. Sure. Why the hell not?

[thegoddamnhedgehog]

[Perfect. There's absolutely no way this idea can fail in any way.]

In that case, we'll need new drinks.

[connedviakeyboard]

Oh, right.

[And Benson will order a round of scotch, for both of them this time.]

[thegoddamnhedgehog]

[Toasting. That's something that Shadow's seen the usual patrons of Club Rouge do from time to time. So he'll raise his glass to Benson. What's the phrase again...?]

Bottoms up.

[That was probably it. Okay, good, your coolness hasn't dropped just yet.]

[connedviakeyboard]

[Benson toasts along with Shadow and, because he doesn't want to look like an utter nerd in front of him? He'll drain it in one gulp. Which was a hideous idea. He keeps his head pointed up for a moment, blinking his eyes a bit to refocus them and hope Shadow doesn't notice the moisture building up there.]

Wow. That uh. That has some kick to it.

[thegoddamnhedgehog]

[Shadow, of course, matches Benson's pace and drains it in one gulp as well. He doesn't want to look weak, after all. Thankfully, he's too busy keeping himself steady to even notice the tears in Benson's eyes.]

S'not so bad. [Already, he seems to be getting a little woozy. That's what happens when you're a tiny hedgehog and you don't really eat very much during the day.] You get used to it.

[connedviakeyboard]

Right. Right.

So.....another?

[thegoddamnhedgehog]

...Another.

[connedviakeyboard]

[Benson has to remind himself, mentally, not to grit his teeth. He's not sure he can take another, but he doesn't want to look like that big a pansy in front of Shadow. So another round it is.

And knocking it back in one gulp, again. God. That hits like a freight train, and for a moment he's sure he can't see straight.]

[thegoddamnhedgehog]

[And Shadow's pretty much doing the same thing, eyes squeezing shut for a moment. If he actually had his Ultimate Lifeform DNA intact, he'd probably be able to keep himself together and hold out for much longer. But as it stands now? Shadow's just an ordinary hedgehog with ordinary DNA and ordinary weaknesses. Though he'll try to pass himself off with Ultimate status regardless, blearily opening his eyes.]

Benson... Are you all right?

[Because Shadow's vision's getting more than a little impaired.]

[connedviakeyboard]

Huh?

[He blinks his eyes a few more times, trying to straighten everything out. Curves....curves aren't supposed to curve like that, are they? It just takes him a moment.]

Yeah? Uh...I'm fine.

...Another?

[Please say no.]

[thegoddamnhedgehog]

[God, no.]

Let me just... Let me just get my bearings.

[Shadow's ears flatten for a moment as he waits for his head to stop spinning. He doesn't look like he'll be getting them anytime soon.]

[connedviakeyboard]

[...Is he drunk? He can't be. Not a tough guy like Shadow. Benson knows he's probably going to regret this himself, but he'll just sit for a moment.]

...You uh....you feeling alright?

[thegoddamnhedgehog]

[No, he really isn't. After this much to drink, this quickly?]

F'course I'm all right. Don't be ridiculous.

[connedviakeyboard]

Hey. I was just asking a question.

[Oh. Look who's feeling a bit combative now, after drinking that much.]

[thegoddamnhedgehog]

I was giving you an answer.

[He'll just cast a sharp glare over at Benson, nodding at his empty glass.]

Are you having another?

[connedviakeyboard]

[Man, he doesn't like that glare, even if he started it first.

Just narrowing his brows.]

Yeah. Yeah I am.

How about you?

[thegoddamnhedgehog]

D'you even have to ask?

[Unsteady as Shadow is on his chair, he's still managing a lopsided sneer.]

[connedviakeyboard]

Bartender!

One more!

[And another round. And Benson just gulps that shit down the moment he gets it. It's like getting kicked in the face by a yak.]