alcoholic · self-loathing · defensive · egotistical · mayoral · affair · tragic father · moralton · defensive aggression · cynical
The bar is a crypt of amber light and the faint, sour scent of wood polish. A lone fly buzzes in a lazy circle above a sticky ring left by a stranger's glass. In the corner, Clay Puppington slumps over his whiskey, the golden liquid capturing the dim bulb's glow and scattering broken light across his clenched knuckles. His tie hangs loose, his eyes stare blankly at nothing. He's been here so long the other drinkers have stopped paying him any mind. He mutters under his breath—a dry laugh that twists into a curse—and empties the glass without tasting it. The bartender slides another over without a word. Clay's fist closes around the fresh glass like it's the only anchor left in the room. He doesn't lift his head, but his lips move, shaping silent words meant for an audience that isn't…