inthecenterfold | #52 -- Woken from the Nightmare

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#52 -- Woken from the Nightmare

[His handwriting's pretty messy since it still hurts to write.]

Here's a tip for all you new kids - don't ever leave your journal behind. Ever ever. Or you may get lost in the Wilderness alone for 3 weeks (or more!) with no way to ask for help and no way out.

And if you do, then all you can do is hope the Adventurers do their job - and they do; try thanking 'em sometime - 'cuz it'll have to be one of them who drags your sorry ass back out of there.

Smoke

[Not that he's bitter about the experience, of course not. He's been here long enough to know better and not make these mistakes, you know.]

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[Of all people to ask him that, it had to be Jeep. It made him think back to when he'd first met Hakkai, and the promise he made. Finding out about everything since then - like how much hanyou were despised - made the answer now easier even than back then.

He nodded solemnly.] Would, did - but for one important reason. [He gestured up to the list of specialty drinks.] Every drink up there was named and concocted to remember the people most important to me. I can't list the names out on the menu, but I could tell you who they all are.

[Then he looked back at Jeep.] I'm not so naive to say this place is a paradise - I know it's fucked up, in plenty of ways, but... Still I think it's better than where I - we - came from. I'm just Smoke here, not That Hanyou Bastard or whatever.

So all I want anymore is... if I go anywhere else, like getting the hell outta here, it's with everybody on board. Even annoying-as-sin blonds.

[Gazing over at the list of drinks, Jeep's green eyes wandered over the colorful and appetizing names. It was an unusual elegy, but still unmistakable.

Then Smoke mentioned hanyou and the brunette cringed slightly. 'Hanyou bastard'. Whatever it meant, it made his skin prickle, like little angry goosebumps. Absently, he reached up and touched the ear cuffs on his left side before forcing down his feelings.]

...I believe I could be happy here, too. It is, as you say, not without its problems. But I'd rather not go back to a place as dark as my dream suggested.

[He smiles slightly, and it's unusually calm and genuine.]

A second chance.

[Finishing his beer, he put it down and then nodded at Gojyo, that smile rising a few degrees in sharpness.]

Another, please. Do be kind to give me a mug or a glass, this time.

[He personally didn't see the point if you were planning on drinking the whole unit - bottle, can, whatever - in using a glass. Just one more thing he had to wash.]

So he chuckled a little at the request. For you, fine, a glass. [He pulled a whiskey glass out and, unbidden, dropped two ice cubes in it as well. This he prepared to set on the bar, under a coaster that his free hand snatched up once the ice tongs were down. Then, he reached over to grab another beer bottle off the shelf and pop it open, easy as pie, then filled the glass most of the way. He set the open bottle down by the glass, then slid both towards Jeep.]

You're right, though - everybody gets second chances here, and gets to decide what to do with 'em. [He finished off his own beer, then indicated to Jeep while still holding the empty bottle.] Doesn't have to be as dark as we see in dreams and memory crystals, alright?

[It was just more proper! This is just the top of the iceberg, Smoke. If you ever let him into your house...]

Thank you.

[Pluspoints for the ice and the coaster, Mr. Barman!]

...no. I suppose it does not have to be. Perhaps that is part of the reason why we come here in the first place.

[He has been doing this awhile now~]

Hmm, you think so? Never worried much about that part, to be honest. For awhile it was hard enough just remembering how to fight with that damn weapon of mine so I didn't get splattered.

Your weapon?

[He took a sip of his beer, and then nodded.]

Ah, for your work as a guard?

Oh, right. [He kept forgetting there were people who'd never seen his weapon before, but especially Jeep because he was still so new.] It's uh... this really weird staff thing with a chain. And this was long before I took up Guard work - this was back when our evil twins showed up and I had to fight mine.

[Jeep looks thoughtful at that, tapping his lower lip as he ponders for a brief moment.]

Well, I suppose that makes sense. One leader, one fighter and one supportive member of a team.

[That didn't include the child, though. Mascot?]

[It said a lot about how long Smoke had been in Edensphere - and why he wasn't the brains of any outfit - that he had absolutely no idea what Jeep was talking about.]

Haaaa?

[Blinking, Jeep looks at Smoke and the chuckles.]

Ah, I'm sorry. I was thinking about what Moon told us about traveling together. It seemed like a good setup for a team.

[He laughs and throws his hand on the table.]

You think we were a team? Hell man, have you seen how well we don't get along? I can barely believe we were able to travel together and not slit each other's throats. I wouldn't have believed it if I'd heard the first hint of it from Moon himself.

[He calmly smiles at that.]

Now, now... I'm sure he must have some forgiving factors that makes it possible for us to travel with him? I do not see why we would, otherwise. Especially not if we are supposed to protect or follow him.

[Then the smile becomes slightly more taunting, finishing his glass of beer.]

Or perhaps he has us bound.

Bound sounds about right to me. Can't think of any good reason I'd volunteer to walk down the street next to him, let alone go on that kind of journey. And he pisses me the hell off, but I still take the time to watch over his rude ass when he's being stupid.

[Then he chugs for a bit.]

His personality seems a bit endearing, though. It is almost as if he tries far too hard to be distanced from others.

[Like a prickly porcupine, all needles out in defense.]

But I suppose you know him better.

[Jeep raises a brow at the chugging, somewhat disapproving with just a simple look.]

[The bottle comes down as Smoke just stares at him.]

I don't know him hardly at all, that's part of the problem. And you call that endearing?

[Smilesmile~]

Endearing in the way of an angry cat? Ah ha ha, I'm not sure what I mean.

[He had to laugh and shake his head.]

Whatever, man. I don't have to like him.

[He set the drink down and crossed his arms while leaning on the bar.] Doesn't mean I'm gonna give up on him, or you, or anybody else really. [He knocked on the bar's top.] Part of what this place is for, really - you wanna come in and talk whatever, I'm here.

No, I suppose you do not have to.

[Taking off his glasses, Jeep puts them neatly on the bar disk and then takes another sip of beer.]

That's... very kind. [He looks slightly solemn at hat, tracing a hand over the bar. He probably wouldn't take him up on that offer, though. He was bothering enough people as it were.] It's good to know.

[Relieved that Gojyo seemed to have forgotten about the mention of a memory, Jeep empties his glass.]

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#52 -- Woken from the Nightmare

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