[Blackout drunk? A man wound as tightly as Ainosuke? Nishi doubts he'd ever permit himself that kind of indulgence in front of anyone, if at all. He isn't the type to surrender control so completely, not when he's so stringent about keeping others in line... something Nishi could have guessed at, even if he didn't already know it firsthand. But half-measures? Just as unlikely. Another thread they share, though that begs the larger question—]

Mm. Then we'll strike moderation from the equation.

[As men like them always do, spurning the middle ground outright. He props an elbow on the counter, regarding Ainosuke through the reflection in his wine glass, his visage doused in red.]

But if you're not here to drink yourself into a stupor... what are you here for?

[Did you come here to laugh at him, Ainosuke? He lets the question hang, equal parts invitation and accusation.]