Alfred would have said something to him in passing, about picking up strays. And perhaps that's warranted. Bruce has never gravitated towards people who were uncomplicated because he would always be required to lie to them. He would always be pretending to be an uncomplicated person in turn. This isn't to say that Bruce hasn't worn that facade- that he's cultivated it even- but those interactions had been purpose driven. He'd understood the motivation and recognized his persona as a tool to achieve that end.
That isn't the case here.
Vanitas watches him for a long moment and Bruce doesn't meet his gaze with steely defiance or narrow determination. He continues to make breakfast. And on his own, for his own reasons, the boy chooses to drift in closer- to stay there even after he reaches for the water. Bruce doesn't feel a rush of victory or pride but he finds that he does feel something. Relief, perhaps.
The question is a good one, though not the first to underline Vanitas's particular brand of inexperience. Bruce considers his options. He's given plenty of non-answers before, he could use simplify it. But Bruce knows what it's like to try and make decisions for himself, to find his footing, when he doesn't have enough facts first. Perhaps it's time that someone armed Vanitas with knowledge instead.
"When you eat or drink anything, your body absorbs what's inside it to use as energy. It's called metabolizing, and different organs inside of you metabolize at different speeds, and some food is absorbed more quickly than others."
His gaze lifts just enough to glance towards the spices, something for flavor- but experience tells him that Vanitas is unlikely to appreciate it while he's this hungover. He needs food to help with the alcohol absorption, but strong flavors won't be a welcome addition to the experience. He leaves them out, reaching for a piece of bread instead.
"Alcohol gets absorbed by your liver, and it gets absorbed before anything else- but it also takes a long time to go all the way through. In the beginning, it can feel good, because a few drinks can lower your inhibitions, you might feel excited or impulsive. Sometimes people say and do things they wouldn't otherwise."
He reaches for a plate.
"But when you have too much of it, it acts like a poison and your liver is hurt. People might feel like you, or they could pass out. It's possible to die, actually. You have to wait for the levels to go down and for your body to recover before you can do it again and enjoy it. It isn't unlike training, in that way. It's fine to push hard, but after awhile your muscles will stop responding because they've worked too hard and there isn't any strength left. If you keep working you don't become any stronger, you just damage the body."
no subject
That isn't the case here.
Vanitas watches him for a long moment and Bruce doesn't meet his gaze with steely defiance or narrow determination. He continues to make breakfast. And on his own, for his own reasons, the boy chooses to drift in closer- to stay there even after he reaches for the water. Bruce doesn't feel a rush of victory or pride but he finds that he does feel something. Relief, perhaps.
The question is a good one, though not the first to underline Vanitas's particular brand of inexperience. Bruce considers his options. He's given plenty of non-answers before, he could use simplify it. But Bruce knows what it's like to try and make decisions for himself, to find his footing, when he doesn't have enough facts first. Perhaps it's time that someone armed Vanitas with knowledge instead.
"When you eat or drink anything, your body absorbs what's inside it to use as energy. It's called metabolizing, and different organs inside of you metabolize at different speeds, and some food is absorbed more quickly than others."
His gaze lifts just enough to glance towards the spices, something for flavor- but experience tells him that Vanitas is unlikely to appreciate it while he's this hungover. He needs food to help with the alcohol absorption, but strong flavors won't be a welcome addition to the experience. He leaves them out, reaching for a piece of bread instead.
"Alcohol gets absorbed by your liver, and it gets absorbed before anything else- but it also takes a long time to go all the way through. In the beginning, it can feel good, because a few drinks can lower your inhibitions, you might feel excited or impulsive. Sometimes people say and do things they wouldn't otherwise."
He reaches for a plate.
"But when you have too much of it, it acts like a poison and your liver is hurt. People might feel like you, or they could pass out. It's possible to die, actually. You have to wait for the levels to go down and for your body to recover before you can do it again and enjoy it. It isn't unlike training, in that way. It's fine to push hard, but after awhile your muscles will stop responding because they've worked too hard and there isn't any strength left. If you keep working you don't become any stronger, you just damage the body."