Too Cold At Home

Setsuna's words were catching Clyde's attention, she was making a lot of sense with everything she said, even if the term Unwind felt almost foreign to him. He'd nod when she asked if he was getting married, that was Clyde's plan eventually when the debt was finally paid off and he could afford a wedding a house for them both, along with the two actually being ready to finally make that big leap together. To be a Father and a Husband, part of it was something Clyde wanted because he felt if he did those things, he could break the set-in-stone fate that was once carved out for him. But the thought of being able to take away all this pain and weight was something part of him wanted and as Setsuna placed an arm on his shoulder and made him turn to her, he would look her in the eye with a gaze that was lost and confused but seeking answers.

Setsuna's words were comforting for Clyde, he felt that she understood and wanted to help him and he yearned for that. Clyde barely understood what was happening to him, and the fact that Setsuna seemed to know so much was the kind of help and comfort he wanted in times like these, even if he didn't want to talk about them. The fact that Setsuna didn't want to see all this weight crush Clyde was just comforting him.

"...A-Alright..." He'd agree as he looked her in the eye. "...B-But how do I unwind exactly?" He'd ask her, not knowing how to exactly go along with her method of help. She'd have to instruct him.

"Ah.... well..." Setsuna said hesitating as she hadn't really thought about trying to explain how to unwind to Clyde Gastin. "Normally, I'd say to have a drink but, you know you can't really do that just... let yourself go... Instead about thinking about anything depressing look for something with immediate joy or at least something that will take your mind off your troubles so you can refresh yourself to face them at a later time."

The boxer was at a loss, she was unsure on how to go with this. "For starters Clyde... talk to me Clyde. You know just about some of the good things going on? Hell, you can show off just like you used to."

Hearing what Setsuna had to say, Clyde tried his best to actually apply her advice to himself by not thinking about anything depressing and to look for something joyful to take his mind off his troubles. He really did try to think of other things but nothing seemed to fit for him as alot had seemed to go under for him the past couple of days.

"There Ain't any Good Things!!" He'd yell as he slammed his fist on the bar. "...I can't think of none... Not knowing that I made my girl cry herself to sleep last night... There ain't a damn thing nice I can think about right now..." Clyde would confess to Setsuna as he clinched his fists tightly, tears starting to well up in his eyes before he slammed his fists down in frustration.

Setsuna frowned and offered Clyde a half smile, it seemed Clyde was at a real low at the moment. She tried to appear as comforting as possible but, it was hard to smile with Clyde breaking down into pieces. The Japanese girl gave a morbid sigh, "Listen... that isn't true... you may have made your girl cry but, couples fight like this all the time. The reason why you two were able to hurt each other so bad is because you guys love each other so much. Listen Clyde, you may have made her cry but, she also must done quite a number on you too. If you want to get through this you need to return back to your old self. You need to be there for Heather, you, not someone weak, bitter and broken. She's going to marry you because she can see beneath that tough exterior you care and you always do whats right. That's the man I saw in you and that's the man we saw in you too, this isn't the end if you don't want it to be. So tonight, you and I are going to have fun! I mean Heather must have done something to take her mind off your fight right?"

Setsuna drained her cup as she tapped the bar, "one more!"

Looking back at Clyde, she hesitated wondering if this was a good idea. "Make that two..."

Listening to what Setsuna had to say, Clyde's head would perk up a bit from the bar as he took in her words that seemed to ease his inner turmoil and conflicts within himself. Setsuna was easing all his worries, she seemed to just understand everything and was telling him everything that he honestly needed to hear in order to continue on. Clyde wanted to be there for Heather, to comfort her when ever possible and not do the things he had done the previous night.

Setsuna was more than right about everything. Heather didn't love Clyde for his pretend tough guy exterior, she loved the man on the inside who cared deeply for her. It was a side of himself that Clyde rarely brought out. But still he would regret his previous actions from last night. Setsuna however was convincing him that things would be alright however and everything would just blow over. If getting through this ordeal meant returning to his old self in order to fix things with Heather and be there for her again, then that's what he was going to do.

"Y-Yeah... Guess you're right." Clyde would mutter out in response to Setsuna's words, already starting to feel better after what she told him, watching as she drank up her beer and ordered another and then... One for him.

"H-Huh?" Clyde would let out as The Bartender passed them both two tall brewskis, sliding one to Setsuna and the other to Clyde who would simply stare at the tall glass of beer with a hint of fear and worry in his eyes as he hesitantly reached for the glass.

"...Setsuna said Heather must of done something to take her mind off our argument... I can do the same... It's just one beer... I can handle it... She ain't gotta know either, this is to help me and to have fun with Set... It's not like I was addicted or somethin'... I can handle it." Thought Clyde to himself as he grabbed the beer and turned to Setsuna with a soft smile.

"Cheers..." He'd say before taking a long swig of the beer, chugging down the ice cold beverage with 4 massive gulps as he drank the beer half empty, getting a little bit down his chin as he chugged the drink down. "Ahh!" He'd let out after the long chug, setting down the drink on the bar with a wide grin on his face. That old familiar, sometimes bitter and stinking but refreshing taste of beer. It had been so long since he had a drink and he loved having one again.

"Damn... That was good... Real good... Been too damn long!!!" Clyde would exclaim in a happy, rowdy manner to Setsuna. "Here's to havin' fun!" He'd remark to her happily, winking for a bit before going for another chug.

"That's the spirit!" Setsuna said as she followed suit and drained as she took the glass and drained it feeling a cool chill run down her throat followed by an invigorating slight burn in her throat. As Clyde made his toast, Setsuna smiled leaning against the bar counter her elbows on the table her chin resting against her knuckles with a smug look on her face as the beer she had ordered was gone, the glass was empty. She swung her legs back and fourth gently as she gave a wink back.

"You know Clyde, I had the impression you used to be some hardcore alcoholic but, you know you proved me wrong." Setsuna said as she tapped the bar counter as the bar tender refilled it filled to the peak. "Think you can handle one more?"

The next two words, she said so delicately and yet, so aggressive in nature with that competitive gleam in her eye, she mouthed them perfectly her face even growing closer to Clyde's as if they were doing a stare down after a weigh in at a boxing match. "Light......weight...."

Setsuna, in a better state of mind would not have done that but, she drank that second beer so fast it went right to her head and being so competitive in nature she had no choice but, to initiate a little tease.

Upon finishing his swig, Clyde set the beer down and wiped his mouth his hand to clear the beverage from his lips, all while looking at Setsuna with a grin. "Girl please... I was a Hardcore Alcoholic! Of course I can handle more!" Clyde would declare with an almost careless boast towards what he didn't feel was a big problem for him during his drinking days.

Suddenly though, Clyde would see Setsuna's face get closer and closer to him as she stared at him with a rather competitive look in her eye as she stared at Clyde and DARED to call the former Alcoholic a Light Weight, causing Clyde's eyes to just widen as he watched his old flame just chug down her beer in a matter of seconds before setting it down.

Clyde couldn't resist the challenge.

"Clyde Gastin ain't no Light Weight! I'm the king! You're on Setty... BARTENDER! Two more! Clyde would say before calling out to the bartender for two more beers which he swiftly slid towards the two. Clyde wasted no time and instantly began to try and chug down his 2nd beer to catch up with Setsuna's third.

Setsuna smiled at Clyde's answer to her challenge and watched as he ordered two more to catch up to her. Already her inhibitions and her reasoning began to fade as she decided to slow down for the third drink not because she was going easy on Clyde but, because she had drunk her first 2 rather quickly and wanted to pace herself. Though seeing Clyde catching up to her, the girl drained her glass until there was a quarter left of it letting a small gasp of air as she turned to see how Clyde was progressing. Unknown to her, a large amount of the head of the beer (the foam that usually appears on top of beer when put into a glass) was on her face, it shifted to her chin giving her a white foamy beard.

"Heh, you think you're man enough?" She said ironically as she cocked an eyebrow.

Taking no break or pause at all, Clyde downed his beer in a matter of seconds, completely drinking up the contents of the glass before slamming it down on the bar. "That's two! Gimme another! Wooooh, Lord!" Clyde would exclaim in a rowdy manner as he finished the 2nd beer, trying to keep up with Setsuna, unable to help but get slightly competitive as she continued to drive forth this feeling of a race or a contest to hold one's alcohol.

Another glass was soon passed towards Clyde and he would turn to Setsuna just before she spoke out to him and his eyes would widen a bit before frowning slightly at her comment, only to laugh at her white foamy beard. Prompting Clyde to reach for Setsuna and cup her chin with his fingers before tracing her mouth with his thumb to wipe the contents from her face with a wide grin, unable to help chuckling a bit at Setsuna as he opted to clean her up, barely able to take her comment too seriously.

Once done, he got back into a more competitive and boastful mood. "Girl please! I KNOW I'm man enough! Ain't nobody else in Tension more of a Real Man than Clyde T. Gastin, let me tell ya! But I ain't just 'A Man', naw... I'm... THE MAN! I'm dang serious! I'm an OG 'round here! The Original Shit! El King Of Da Ring! You can ask My Momma, I'm Tension's Main Protagonist! Ain't no muthafucka gotten what I've got or earned what I've earned! Survived like I have! I don't a damn what Mutoh says cuz I'm The Best!" Clyde would boast out loudly in a very rowdy manner to Setsuna with a wide grin before reaching over for the third glass.

"This gon' be the last night I drink." Clyde said aloud, mostly to himself before he began to down the third beer in a rather thirsty looking manner. Partly to show Setsuna up and Partly just to have a drink.

Oathkeeper: Setsuna blushed and giggled at her foamy beard but, was flustered as she felt Clyde's hand on her chin and wipe it gently.The girl gulped nervously as Clyde did that the thought of coming between him and Heather suddenly crossed her mind and she didn't like it one bit. Hearing Clyde's rant cleared her concious, Setsuna laughed full heartedly at the cowboy's rant, she laughed so hard the girl doubled over clenching her stomach, "Hahahaha! All hail to the champ! Hehehe..." Setsuna finished her third before slapping the bar table getting one more as she looked to Clyde with a heart warming smile, "You know we should hang out more often..." Setsuna said as she awaited her fourth beer. Seeing Clyde's act of bravado, she was impressed by it but, she didn't let it phase her. "Ohhhh big man, eh?" She said as she took her fourth and took a big gulp of it! Wiping her mouth, she looked at Clyde with a wobly smile.

afw_lobo: Aftering downing his 3rd beer, Clyde slammed down his class and looked towards Setsuna proudly and smiled her offer to hang out more. "We Should! Been too dang long since we last talked. And too dang long since I had me a good ol' Brewski, too!" He'd declare to her in a rowdy manner before watching the boxer down her fourth beer, putting Clyde behind again! "Nuh Uh, not Big Man. THE MAN." He'd tell her with a smug grin before getting his wallet and slamming down a wad of Yen for the bartender. "Keep em' comin!" Clyde would say before getting his 4th beer, grabbing the glass and proceeding to chug it down quickly to catch up with Setsuna.

Oathkeeper: "Damn right! We should..." Setsuna replied and turned her gaze to find Clyde close on her tail as they were evenly matched for now as she now felt the liquid begin to bloat her stomach. She felt a haziness come around her too as she put down the fourth glass before is was empty. She gave an exhale of breath as she felt a warmth surround her body as she felt lighter than a feather and no matter what she couldn't stop herself from smiling and giggling. Setsuna was officially drunk as she began to slur her words. "hah! Some man can't even drink out a woman...ugh...out drink a woman..." Setsuna ordered another beer and by the looks of it the last one she could stomach. As the bar tender got her the fifth drink, she turned to Clyde with a big dumb smile on her face. Setsuna drained her fourth beer as the fifth glass was pushed in front of her. Setsuna licked her lips as she took the glass with both hands, "I'm gonna win cowboy!"