[ Nate doesn't entirely know what to do with it, speaking with reluctance, rubbing his thumb against the ridged edges of something that looks as though it shouldn't actually have a physical form. His hand falls to his side and he assumes that if he doesn't drop it into his duffel bag or pocket, it'll sink into his skin when he's not looking.
That's how these things are supposed to go, right? ]
[ Paired with a sheepish smile— this really isn't his area of expertise, but the offering seems to have fallen somewhere close to the mark. That's good, even it leaves him suddenly adrift. He'd planned this far, not any further. A second feels a little like five.
Stephen abruptly sucks in a breath through his teeth, brows raising, and uses the shock of it to nudge the topic an inch or two to the left. ]
I think you can have a drink now. Something stronger, or shall I put on some tea?
[ Does alcohol still run the risk of feeling like a crutch, or would it be nice to have one or two? ]
[ Nate tucks it away into his back pocket and promptly tries to forget about the fact that he was extremely vulnerable three minutes prior, sucking his lip between his teeth and contemplating the wisdom in getting hideously drunk before sinking into a liquor-fueled sleep.
He knows better than to do that, unfortunately. Propping his elbow on the counter while the tension bleeds from his shoulders, Nate smiles. ]
Actually...and this is gonna sound surprising, but. Tea sounds nice. Got any varieties from Nepal?
[ A playful little lift of a brow - Do I? - and Stephen raises a finger to indicate Nate should wait there, "One minute", before disappearing off to the kitchen to set up the brew. The perks of owning a bar with a commercial kitchen, you never have to wait for hot water.
He doesn't have any Nepali blends that authentically pack the full punch of the leaves he's used to, but he does have a batch of Himalayan leaves that Silena kindly amped up to fit the flavour for him. It's close enough.
He returns with two ceramic, handleless tea cups in one hand and a tea kettle in the other, setting down the cups so he can shift a bar towel to protect the counter before putting the kettle down too. ]
Salvaged from the wreckage of the safehouse, no less.
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no subject
[ Nate doesn't entirely know what to do with it, speaking with reluctance, rubbing his thumb against the ridged edges of something that looks as though it shouldn't actually have a physical form. His hand falls to his side and he assumes that if he doesn't drop it into his duffel bag or pocket, it'll sink into his skin when he's not looking.
That's how these things are supposed to go, right? ]
I mean it.
no subject
[ Paired with a sheepish smile— this really isn't his area of expertise, but the offering seems to have fallen somewhere close to the mark. That's good, even it leaves him suddenly adrift. He'd planned this far, not any further. A second feels a little like five.
Stephen abruptly sucks in a breath through his teeth, brows raising, and uses the shock of it to nudge the topic an inch or two to the left. ]
I think you can have a drink now. Something stronger, or shall I put on some tea?
[ Does alcohol still run the risk of feeling like a crutch, or would it be nice to have one or two? ]
no subject
He knows better than to do that, unfortunately. Propping his elbow on the counter while the tension bleeds from his shoulders, Nate smiles. ]
Actually...and this is gonna sound surprising, but. Tea sounds nice. Got any varieties from Nepal?
no subject
He doesn't have any Nepali blends that authentically pack the full punch of the leaves he's used to, but he does have a batch of Himalayan leaves that Silena kindly amped up to fit the flavour for him. It's close enough.
He returns with two ceramic, handleless tea cups in one hand and a tea kettle in the other, setting down the cups so he can shift a bar towel to protect the counter before putting the kettle down too. ]
Salvaged from the wreckage of the safehouse, no less.