what_the_shock | A bar on the mainland

Miguel had looked around, found a pub with good food and plenty of beer, and called a taxi to get them there. The bar even had $1 drafts on Monday.

They might regret that after these two started drinking.

[Expecting one, and NFB for distance!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

what_the_shock

"You're my friend," Miguel said. "Your world's been shocking awful to you. I'm not too attached to it."

From:

puppy_fair

"Maybe not," Zack said, reaching for the spider whatever beer as it was placed in front of him. "It's been kind of bad, maybe. But there are still good people there. People who don't deserve to die ugly."

He pulled in a slow breath. Hiked a shoulder up.

"I'm one guy. There's no honor in saving one person and letting millions suffer for it."

From:

what_the_shock

"Yeah, I know." Miguel shrugged. "Hey, I never said I wouldn't try to save everyone. But...yeah. Better not to have to, anyway."

From:

puppy_fair

"Better to not have to," Zack agreed. And down went so much of that beer, too.

The bartender was starting to look concerned.

"I'm not going back," he murmured. "I can't face it, but I'm happy it's safe."

From:

what_the_shock

Miguel clinked his glass against Zack's and downed it, ordering another. Hey, if the bartender couldn't handle it, that was their own problem. "I think we've been in this club together before. It kinda sucks, but we'll make our own homes."

From:

puppy_fair

"There are worse clubs to be in," Zack decided. "The 'home is doomed but they'll kill me if I go back' club was way worse."

Like, in general, really.

From:

what_the_shock

"Yeah," Miguel agreed. "And living in a place with friends and people that get it is nice. It's even usually a nice place to be."

From:

puppy_fair

"With only the occasional nightmare fuel," Zack agreed, smiling wryly. "Yeah, I'll take it."

From:

what_the_shock

Miguel smiled back. "It's good to have one of those friends back again, you know. Even if I still need to smack you for leaving on your own."

From:

puppy_fair

"It worked out," Zack replied, blithely ignoring that if ShinRa had gotten wind of him being back on Gaia, they absolutely would have sent their entire infantry to kill him. "You would have been bored, anyway. Most of my time there was spent killing monsters in caves and eating dumbapples."

... There wasn't much else for him to eat in Banora, anyway.

From:

what_the_shock

"What's a dumbapple?" Miguel asked.

From:

puppy_fair

"It's an apple with blue skin that only grows in one particular place," Zack shared. "And the trees go to fruit at random times of the year. They're pretty good, actually."

And they had kind of followed him across the planet for a while there.

From:

what_the_shock

"Huh. Sounds interesting. You can live on them, though? Okay, never mind, not the point. Unless you're actually malnourished now, in which case I'm cutting off your beer after another ten or so."

He sounded so concerned, didn't he? Miguel was a good friend.

From:

puppy_fair

Zack shrugged dismissively.

"I've lived on less for longer. It's a SOLDIER thing."

Being on the run really hadn't lended itself well to eating three square meals and all.

From:

what_the_shock

"Just because you can, doesn't mean it's a good idea."

About then, the fries came, and Miguel ordered loaded nachos for next. Hey, at least they weren't only going to drink the place dry. They were also going to eat super-healthy bar food.

"So is it good to be back at the shelter? I'm sure the chickens missed you."

From:

puppy_fair

"It is," Zack agreed, nodding a little. "Mostly it's nice to be back somewhere familiar, but I can't deny it's great to have a dozen or so puppies at hand whenever I want, too."

From:

what_the_shock

Miguel grinned. "I thought a saw a few kinds of dog hair on you. Good for cuddling?"

From:

puppy_fair

"Great for cuddling," Zack replied, smiling lopsidedly. "I mean, I can't just sleep in the kennels from here on out, but it's kind of tempting."

From:

what_the_shock

"Easier to just bring them into a bed," Miguel said. "Or, well, easier on your back. Even if you have slept worse places," he headed off the protest.

From:

puppy_fair

Zack closed his mouth before even managing to get that protest out, yes.

"... Well, if you've ever tried to put a dozen puppies in a single place..."

Sure, it was easy on the back, but sleeping would never happen.

From:

what_the_shock

"Close the door and shove them in one at a time?" Miguel suggested.

You were bigger than they were, Zack.

From:

puppy_fair

Yeah, but they were way less likely to fall victim to his puppy eyes than he was theirs.

"... That's a lot of laps."

Yes, Zack. A dozen. Less if you double up.

From:

what_the_shock

"You lived in a cave for months; what's a few laps with dogs?"

From:

puppy_fair

"I thought the goal was me actually getting some sleep at some point," Zack pointed out, grinning crookedly.

And ordering another beer.

The bartender was seriously starting to look concerned, now.