[ every so often the scowl comes out. usually when someone won't let him have something he wants, like a child, he pouts. ]

What're ya talkin' about? 'Course it's true. See, drinkin' with company is a treat even if ya steal my sake! I'm happy enough, my plans are workin' out.

[ which is to say he drinks alone often enough that anything else is a break from the norm. it's a roundabout way of saying so because even now he's trying to avoid it. turn it around to avoid having to admit it's sad because anything is better than having to face how bad it is. maybe it wouldn't sting so much if he had anything else, but ryouma is bad at the details. in the past he's had someone around to pull him out of fixations at least for a little while, but left to his own devices he's done nothing but live inside his own head for months. he's probably lucky he's doing as well as he is right now. that's practice. ]