02-07-2022, 11:35 AM
There was humor behind the words, but they spoke to things Nox didn't know. Jay had gone through something. They hadn't talked. But Nox had been worried and that worry started to show again. Jay tossed his flask to the side and the memories of his father tried to take root. There were reasons Nox didn't drink and those memories were a big part of them.
The walk in silence was peirced by Jay saying his name. Jay's voice made him turn to look at the other man. They stopped walking and there was a moment of understanding before Jay pushed Nox out of the way and heaved the contents of his stomach onto the tunnel floor. Nox danced out of the way and was at Jay's side. He'd have held his hair if were long. But Nox's hand just rested at the top of his friends shoulders. The putrid smell of alcohol filled vomit cemented the memories in Nox's head. He pulled upon the power inside and pushed away the feelings in the darkness. There was nothing left but emptiness. It was how Aria had explained how she felt -- how she had survived her life with feeling what other's felt. That was a bitter memory too as it skittered across the emptiness.
"And this is why I don't drink." Nox joked. "Well that and I do things like kiss a guy I barely know." Which was more than true. It had happened the only times Nox had ever truly gotten wasted. Once with Jade and then with Jay. Both times lead to something greater in terms of Nox's life. One he savored and the other he had forced himself to forget -- until Jay. He sighed and let Jay rest. Nox pulled out a bottle of water and offered it to Jay. "You want to talk about it?" He paused. "Of do you need to hurl some fireballs at shit and get it all out?" Nox knew what he'd choose, but it wouldn't have been the thing to do. As much as he hated it, talking about it always helped. Like saying it took some of the weight off, like the aether took some of it and helped carry the burden. And suffering alone was never a good thing.
The walk in silence was peirced by Jay saying his name. Jay's voice made him turn to look at the other man. They stopped walking and there was a moment of understanding before Jay pushed Nox out of the way and heaved the contents of his stomach onto the tunnel floor. Nox danced out of the way and was at Jay's side. He'd have held his hair if were long. But Nox's hand just rested at the top of his friends shoulders. The putrid smell of alcohol filled vomit cemented the memories in Nox's head. He pulled upon the power inside and pushed away the feelings in the darkness. There was nothing left but emptiness. It was how Aria had explained how she felt -- how she had survived her life with feeling what other's felt. That was a bitter memory too as it skittered across the emptiness.
"And this is why I don't drink." Nox joked. "Well that and I do things like kiss a guy I barely know." Which was more than true. It had happened the only times Nox had ever truly gotten wasted. Once with Jade and then with Jay. Both times lead to something greater in terms of Nox's life. One he savored and the other he had forced himself to forget -- until Jay. He sighed and let Jay rest. Nox pulled out a bottle of water and offered it to Jay. "You want to talk about it?" He paused. "Of do you need to hurl some fireballs at shit and get it all out?" Nox knew what he'd choose, but it wouldn't have been the thing to do. As much as he hated it, talking about it always helped. Like saying it took some of the weight off, like the aether took some of it and helped carry the burden. And suffering alone was never a good thing.
![[Image: nox_sig.gif]](http://thefirstage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/nox_sig.gif)