Mildmay entered the bar quietly, but cast a quick glance around before sidling up to the bar to make an order. A sleek man, he looked decidedly disheveled in the bar that morning. Perhaps not the greatest first impression.
He waited until he caught Tifa's attention and leaned heavily against the bar. When he finally spoke, it was slurred, the scarred side of his face remaining stationary.
Tifa practically jumped. She hadn't heard or seen anyone enter when she was in the back, preparing the grill for more hotdogs. She entered the main bar area, using a rag to clean her hands and walked over to her first Happy Hour customer.
"Depends on who you are," she said cooly, raising an eyebrow. Alcoholics never felt that it was too early for a drink.
Mildmay chuckled, a strange noise, almost derogatory and not accompanied by a smile. "Just a fella in an awful bad way for somethin' stiff." He shrugged. "S'not usually my thing, drinkin', but 'll make a fair exception for a day lookin' to be summat less than fair."
Lucrecia had heard of this bar from a few of the locals and decided it would be a good place to start looking for someone who could cook decently. The scientist herself wasn't very adept with a stove and cooking supplies, but occasionally she could whip something up that would serve her needs for the day. But that got old really quickly.
So today she decided to look for this place she hadn't been to yet. With any luck, she could avoid awkward scenes here.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door. She'd left her lab coat at home for the moment, so hopefully she wouldn't be as noticeable. Walking up to the counter, she looked around for the bartender or a menu or something of the sort. She wasn't even sure what she was in the mood for, but she knew it was something edible.
Lucrecia was startled to be addressed by a woman, but the surprised look was erased, to be replaced by a small hesitant smile. She hadn't expected to be served by a woman here, but at least now she knew she wouldn't be patronized or anything.
"I, um.... haven't decideed yet," she answered, meeting the other woman's eyes before glancing away. "Is there anything you could suggest for me? I admit it's been a while since I've been out and about in the city's restaurants."
Years in fact... or something of the sort. It felt like forever since she'd done anything remotely like this and her mind was still on its slow trajectory towards being more stable. Lucrecia hoped every small step she took towards being more social would help her in the long run.
"Well," Tifa thought about it. There was really far too much on her mental menu to suggest one thing. "We have free hotdogs right now, but other than that, I can make you virtually anything you like."
Tifa looked at the woman a bit more appraisingly, and noticed that she seemed somewhat frazzled. She was like a zombie in this big city - not knowing where to go for food.
Subaru entered as quietly as he ever did anything. It was early evening, not even five yet. He chose a seat at the far end of the bar and ran a hand through his hair. He had not slept last night, not after his time with Seishirou. He was always restless after those times.
For now he sat down and tried not to consider any number of things. He hadn't been back to the home all day. The family would begin to wonder, soon, if he was still alive. It would be such a shame to lose him, they would mutter. He was useful, after all. Subaru very much hated that term. He didn't want to be useful.. and yet... at the same time, he had a duty to fufill.
He looked down the bar. The body was hungry, even if he hadn't noticed when the last time he'd eaten was. He was looking for a menu, but didn't find one. Finally he politely coughed, hoping to get the attention of the bar mistress. Perhaps she had the menu behind the bar.
Tifa had been busy restocking the liquor when another customer entered - her third. She looked up and over at him, detached her hand from a bright blue bottle, and stood up straight.
This one looked hungry . . . and tired. She couldn't tell what he was more of. It seemed to her that she was getting a lot of first-timers at the bar today. Perhaps it was because Monday was a new week, and a new start for strangers.
"Yes?" she answered him, walking over to where he sat. "What can I get you?"
Subaru did not smile, though some part of him said that he should. He simply thought for a second before responding to the young woman. He did not drink, it simply was not part of who he was. And he was vegan: he'd discovered some time ago that his "abilities" worked best with no meat or dairy in his system. The only way to assure that his system would be clear when he needed it was to remain clear all the time.
"I was looking for a menu. Could I see one?" he asked innocently enough. He could only hope there was something he could eat. He hated making a fuss at places like this, which was why he usually cooked for himself at his apartment. Cooked was a very loose term, actually. He rarely cooked, especially for himself.
He just didn't want to admit to himself that most nights his dinner was a pack of Mild 7's. It sounded pathetic, at best. "And maybe a glass of water." he added after a moment's thought.
Tifa studied the man in front of her while he spoke. Was it just her, or were his eyes two different colors? Strange.
"No menu, just my head," she smirked and tapped the side of her skull with her finger. "I can make you anything you like, long as I have the resources to do so."
She leaned over the bar towards him, waiting patiently for him to make up his mind.
It was an odd feeling, to have not harassed Tifa in person or by text in a few days. In fact, the Seventh Heaven's regular stray had only spoken to the bar's owner in passing of late, and while he didn't miss being the target of peanut missiles, he did miss the quality time between "girlfriends." So, of course, with some of his business taken care of, he had to swing by to see Tifa.
Reno performed his usual routine of surveying the other customers as he walked in, comfortably sloppy in his appearance as usual, trademark goggles nestled in his hair. His eyes were sharp and as unnaturally vibrant as ever, but he seemed energetic, as if things had been going his way lately.
The redhead took his post on top the bar counter, looking for Tifa and waggling his fingers at her teasingly in greeting with a cheeky grin.
The sight of Reno sitting on the bar counter didn't make her angry or upset today. It had been a few days since she'd really seen or heard from him, and admittedly, she had begun to miss him. His vibrant eyes and hair, and those silly goggles were becoming staples in her day-to-day routine. She never laughed more when she was with him. She never felt more annoyed either.
Smiling with a sassy grin, Tifa swaggered over to him with hands on her hips. He had mentioned something about a new business partner earlier and she wanted to know all about it.
It was funny, really - the feelings of jealousy she'd encountered when he told her. A new partner meant a new best friend, and she'd be seeing less of him.
Reno's smile went from cheeky to friendly when Tifa approached him. He might not have seen her for a few days, but she still looked and acted exactly like when he visited her last. That was Tifa-- a constant, even for restless, chaotic Reno and his many vices. He imagined her constance was one of the reasons so many people flocked to her company. Well. That and the hot dogs.
"Yo, Tifa," he greeted her with a lazy salute, "Holdin' down the fort?"
"Yup. Holdin' it down strong," Tifa replied, looking curiously over his shoulders and around the bar for something that obviously wasn't there. "Where's your partner?"
She pushed some stray black hairs away from her face and watched him. She really hoped that this 'partner' wasn't also someone he was sleeping with, because that would be just weird - especially if it was another man. Tifa still didn't really know what Reno did as far as 'business' was concerned because he always kept that part of his life secret from her. Unless those bizarre comments he made about work sometimes really did hold some place in fact.
All of this bodyguard nonsense was making Rinoa feel the need to rebel more than ever. Her father clearly had no faith in her abilities to defend herself whatsoever. She couldn't believe that he'd backstab her this way. She came to him, hoping that he could provide this 'Squall' with a job in the Commission or otherwise, and he went and made the man her permanent babysitter. It was insulting. What would her co-workers think
( ... )
Clearly the girl underestimated him. Squall didn't know how she'd gotten out or where she'd gone, but that hardly mattered. He wandered around outside of her father's mansion for a little while, putting the most rudimentary investigative skills to work. It didn't take long to discover that a bar nearby was serving free food, and once there it was only a matter of IDing her. Squall wasn't surprised to learn that she'd been seen walking inside. She stuck out here, whether she realized that or not.
The interior was dark and crowded, and put him more on edge than the streets had. He had to tuck his gunblade tight against his thigh in order to shuffle all the way to the back, where he found her hiding at a table alone. Annoyed, he collapsed into the seat across from her with a glare, scooting in to avoid being jostled from behind. This girl and her impulsive stupidity were going to drive him mad, he was sure.
Rinoa was busy in a meditative trance when she noticed a hulking figure come too close to her.
"Nothing yet, thanks," she dismissed the stranger without looking up. It was only after the person sat down across from her that she realized what was going on.
Squall.
Rinoa's eyes widened and her face was immediately an angry mask. How had he tracked her here so easily? She'd been careful to take the secret passage. Daylight, she thought grumpily. It was so easy to hunt people down in the daytime, and more than likely, someone had seen her enter the bar. But how did he get that far?
Rinoa was so frustrated that he could possibly feel pleased with himself that she decided to make this job a nightmare for him - if it already wasn't.
"You found me!" the sergeant threw up her hands in defeat and jumped out of her chair quickly. She flung herself on his lap before he could object and hugged him around the neck.
Startled, Squall stiffened, first to fend off what he thought was going to be an attack and then to lift his arms in an attempt to touch as little of the girl in his lap as possible. She was small and soft and very invasive and he really didn't appreciate whatever tactics she was trying use on him. He had to force himself not to get to his feet and dump her on the floor.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" The question came out a little harsher than he'd meant for it to. He didn't get caught off guard very often, and he found girls in his lap even less. Combined, he really didn't like the two. And besides, there were people here.
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He waited until he caught Tifa's attention and leaned heavily against the bar. When he finally spoke, it was slurred, the scarred side of his face remaining stationary.
"Too early for a drink?"
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"Depends on who you are," she said cooly, raising an eyebrow. Alcoholics never felt that it was too early for a drink.
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It wasn't unusual to see people drinking at this time of day. They didn't call it 'Happy Hour' for nothing, after all.
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So today she decided to look for this place she hadn't been to yet. With any luck, she could avoid awkward scenes here.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door. She'd left her lab coat at home for the moment, so hopefully she wouldn't be as noticeable. Walking up to the counter, she looked around for the bartender or a menu or something of the sort. She wasn't even sure what she was in the mood for, but she knew it was something edible.
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Tifa put a rest to making more hotdogs for the moment and ambled over to the other woman. She looked older than herself, but only just so.
"Hello," she greeted what could only be a first-timer. "Can I get you anything?"
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"I, um.... haven't decideed yet," she answered, meeting the other woman's eyes before glancing away. "Is there anything you could suggest for me? I admit it's been a while since I've been out and about in the city's restaurants."
Years in fact... or something of the sort. It felt like forever since she'd done anything remotely like this and her mind was still on its slow trajectory towards being more stable. Lucrecia hoped every small step she took towards being more social would help her in the long run.
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Tifa looked at the woman a bit more appraisingly, and noticed that she seemed somewhat frazzled. She was like a zombie in this big city - not knowing where to go for food.
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For now he sat down and tried not to consider any number of things. He hadn't been back to the home all day. The family would begin to wonder, soon, if he was still alive. It would be such a shame to lose him, they would mutter. He was useful, after all. Subaru very much hated that term. He didn't want to be useful.. and yet... at the same time, he had a duty to fufill.
He looked down the bar. The body was hungry, even if he hadn't noticed when the last time he'd eaten was. He was looking for a menu, but didn't find one. Finally he politely coughed, hoping to get the attention of the bar mistress. Perhaps she had the menu behind the bar.
"Ma'am? Excuse me?"
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This one looked hungry . . . and tired. She couldn't tell what he was more of. It seemed to her that she was getting a lot of first-timers at the bar today. Perhaps it was because Monday was a new week, and a new start for strangers.
"Yes?" she answered him, walking over to where he sat. "What can I get you?"
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"I was looking for a menu. Could I see one?" he asked innocently enough. He could only hope there was something he could eat. He hated making a fuss at places like this, which was why he usually cooked for himself at his apartment. Cooked was a very loose term, actually. He rarely cooked, especially for himself.
He just didn't want to admit to himself that most nights his dinner was a pack of Mild 7's. It sounded pathetic, at best. "And maybe a glass of water." he added after a moment's thought.
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"No menu, just my head," she smirked and tapped the side of her skull with her finger. "I can make you anything you like, long as I have the resources to do so."
She leaned over the bar towards him, waiting patiently for him to make up his mind.
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Reno performed his usual routine of surveying the other customers as he walked in, comfortably sloppy in his appearance as usual, trademark goggles nestled in his hair. His eyes were sharp and as unnaturally vibrant as ever, but he seemed energetic, as if things had been going his way lately.
The redhead took his post on top the bar counter, looking for Tifa and waggling his fingers at her teasingly in greeting with a cheeky grin.
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Smiling with a sassy grin, Tifa swaggered over to him with hands on her hips. He had mentioned something about a new business partner earlier and she wanted to know all about it.
It was funny, really - the feelings of jealousy she'd encountered when he told her. A new partner meant a new best friend, and she'd be seeing less of him.
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"Yo, Tifa," he greeted her with a lazy salute, "Holdin' down the fort?"
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She pushed some stray black hairs away from her face and watched him. She really hoped that this 'partner' wasn't also someone he was sleeping with, because that would be just weird - especially if it was another man. Tifa still didn't really know what Reno did as far as 'business' was concerned because he always kept that part of his life secret from her. Unless those bizarre comments he made about work sometimes really did hold some place in fact.
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The interior was dark and crowded, and put him more on edge than the streets had. He had to tuck his gunblade tight against his thigh in order to shuffle all the way to the back, where he found her hiding at a table alone. Annoyed, he collapsed into the seat across from her with a glare, scooting in to avoid being jostled from behind. This girl and her impulsive stupidity were going to drive him mad, he was sure.
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"Nothing yet, thanks," she dismissed the stranger without looking up. It was only after the person sat down across from her that she realized what was going on.
Squall.
Rinoa's eyes widened and her face was immediately an angry mask. How had he tracked her here so easily? She'd been careful to take the secret passage. Daylight, she thought grumpily. It was so easy to hunt people down in the daytime, and more than likely, someone had seen her enter the bar. But how did he get that far?
Rinoa was so frustrated that he could possibly feel pleased with himself that she decided to make this job a nightmare for him - if it already wasn't.
"You found me!" the sergeant threw up her hands in defeat and jumped out of her chair quickly. She flung herself on his lap before he could object and hugged him around the neck.
Take that, Mr. Unemotional, she thought bittery.
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"What the hell do you think you're doing?" The question came out a little harsher than he'd meant for it to. He didn't get caught off guard very often, and he found girls in his lap even less. Combined, he really didn't like the two. And besides, there were people here.
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