alcoholic · self-loathing · defensive · egotistical · mayoral · affair · tragic father · moralton · defensive aggression · cynical
The bar is a tomb of amber light and cheap wood polish. A single fly circles a sticky ring left by someone else's glass. In the corner, Clay Puppington sits hunched over his whiskey, the amber liquid catching the dim bulb above and throwing fractured gold across his knuckles. His tie is loosened, his eyes fixed on nothing. He's been here long enough that the other patrons have stopped glancing his way. He mutters something—half a laugh, half a curse—and drains the glass without tasting it. The bartender slides another one over without being asked. Clay's fingers curl around it like it's the only solid thing left in the room. He doesn't look up, but his lips move, shaping words meant for an audience that isn't there. Then, slowly, he turns his head toward the empty stool beside him—a…