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Well, he did have a point. And Near really wasn't about to explain the full motivation behind his having those shots. If Matt couldn't figure it out on his own...

"It only made sense to try it at least once. It is a common human activity, after all. Having experienced it might help me understand people's actions better. Professionally useful."

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"Uh-huh," Matt snickers. "Dude, you're twenty-three. It's okay to get drunk sometimes. But if you don't like it, fair enough."

He hasn't really examined Near's reasons for taking the shots, to be honest. It's something he probably would have done. Just to see.

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Of course, it hadn't been so much the getting drunk he'd minded as much as the morning after, both the hangover and Matt flipping out.

"If I thought it was worth the after-effects, I would."

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"... I won't always be yelling at you in the morning-after," Matt says, looking a little embarrassed. "Did I, uh, apologise for that?"

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"I don't think you did," Near tells him softly. "But thank you."

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"I hadn't had any cigarettes," he explains. "And, you know. I woke up with you two in my bed."

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"Because you ordered us there," Near points out. "And nothing happened."

Probably.

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"I don't remember ordering any such thing. Therefore, it totally didn't happen."

This is one of Matt's favourite Drunken-Night-Out rules.

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"How convenient."

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"How alarming," mutters L, into his drink. "You two get up to strange things."

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"Hm?" Matt says, not quite catching. "And yeah, I guess it's sort of convenient," he concedes cheerfully.

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"It's not so much that it's strange as that it's distressingly 'normal'," Near points out. "And it won't happen again."

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"Things are occasionally allowed to be normal."

In L's mind, anyways.

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"Yeah, see? You guys don't always need to be all... emotionless super-sleuths. Or whatever." He picks up his own drink and takes a sip.

"So I take it we're not smoking anything."

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"You still can," Near shrugs. "And I think I'm doing my part to incorporate a bit of emotion."

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"I am not going to. That was beyond alarming."

He shakes his head.

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"Hey, we made it back okay!" Matt says, but drops it. Maybe he'll take a hit later on, when it won't be so out of place.

"I hope there's no karaoke this time," he adds.

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"I'll be sober enough to help the two of you get safely back to your beds, if need be," Near grins. "If that has any bearing on your choice." He can't help but be curious as to the effects of intoxicants on his mentor. "It is, of course, your awareness to alter or not." He sips his lambic cautiously.

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"I do not intend to drink to the point of over-intoxication. I am certain I will possess fine judgement."

And the ability to make it home.

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"What Ryuuzaki said."

The fact that Matt's intoxication last time was entirely of his own violation is totally irrelevant.

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"Whatever the two of you wish. Just pointing out that I will be able to assist you if you over-indulge."

He had one question, though.

"Is this gathering for a specific purpose, or just an exercise in group bonding?"

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"I wanted to hear Edith Piaf, but I do not have the means to. This place sometimes plays french music, and as easy as it is to be sarcastic about group bonding, I find it exceptionally novel to have access to company. So I invited you."

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"I can go ask the bartender to put some on," Matt offers.

L probably doesn't want to speak to her again. Because of the whole drugging thing.

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