"Had plenty to discuss..." Ben said skeptically, putting his hands in his sides. On a positive note, at least he now met the man sober for the first time.

"I mean, I was kinda being held hostage there," Anthony said. He didn't want to meet the guy or talk to him or anything, he just wanted to drink. It just so happened that he ended up like that. "not literally, but..."

"Hmmm..." said Ben, still a bit suspicious. But then again, Harry Longbottom was an evil person, and maybe he had come up with the insults himself, and maybe he had just taken the stranger hostage. Ben took a deep breath. He still didn't trust this fellow, and he still didn't like him. But for Elijah's sake... "I'm sorry if I was a bit harsh on ye the other day."

Anthony averted his gaze, looking to the side and ground and anywhere except at Ben. "It was justified," he said, crossing his arms. "I'm a dick." He won't deny that.

Whatever Ben had expected, it wasn't this. He licked sucked on his lower lip awkwardly as he tried to figure out how to respond to that. "I didn't..." He might have said it back then. He didn't remember. "We all make mistakes..." he said instead.

Anthony uncrossed his arms and began fidgeting with his hands. "I guess," he said. "still a dick, though." Him being a complete and utter asshole wasn't a mistake or anything, it was just him being an asshole.

That night, Ben had been trying to show the man exactly this point. Now, the man affirming it made him highly uncomfortable. "People can change..." he said, rather hesitant.

"I mean, yeah," Anthony shrugged, unsure about how to respond. "I haven't changed, though. I'm still kind of an asshole." The only difference was that he was sober right now, and as such much less likely to actually start being a dick to people.

Ben was really awkward now. He looked around as if hoping for a distraction. There was none. He turned back to the younger man. "Now, ye needn't be too harsh on yerself."

Was he being harsh on himself? In his eyes, he was just owning up to his shitty actions and attitude. "I'm...not being harsh," Anthony said. "I'm..being honest, yeah? Or...something."