nomansundertaker | IC Contact [Folkmore]

Usually isn't. Most of the people I used to work with ended up wanting to kill me.

[Some of them even succeeded!]

Ha. [ Wolfwood laughs because they have too much in common. Bluesummers wanted to kill him on sight, and if Wolfwood were any less useful, he'd try to kill him... more seriously than he has already. ]

If Millions Knives weren't holding everyone together, I wouldn't be surprised if it turned into a free-for-all bloodbath.

Millions Knives?

[Is that a person? An organization?? Hell of a name either way.]

Yeah, Millions Knives leads the... organization, cult, whatever you want to call it. It's many things.

[ Wolfwood waves a hand. ]

No one wants to cross him. He could kill any one of us. Hell all of us if we grouped together, which we never would.

Geez. Why do so many worlds end up with powerful, shitty people?

[It sucks! He's tired of it!]

[ Knives is a Plant, an independent one. He was always that powerful. As for shitty, that's not Wolfwood's place to explain. It was Vash's memory. ]

Shitty things happen, and it makes for shitty people who keep doing shittier and shittier things? That's the best I got.

Yeah... guess that's true.

[Zack downs another shot, pouring a fresh one, though before he swigs he swirls the liquid around in his glass.]

...The fox sent my girlfriend home. So. That's shitty.

[ The words explain everything, and it's shit. It's not something Wolfwood can help with. She's gone, and he doesn't have girlfriend fetching powers. If he did, his brother would be here. ]

Shit. I should have ordered all the bottles in the bar.

[ He pours some more and drinks it. ]

That's shit. I'll drink here as long as you want to.

Well, hey. Night's young.

[He could keep drinking for a while yet.]

Stop before you die, though. I dunno a SOLDIER's limits.

Guess it is.

[ He hadn't looked at a clock when Zack made his way over. When bad things happen, it's drinking time, no matter the time of day.

The limit Zack suggests though... Wolfwood thinks of Vash, and yeah, he's not going to drink himself into the grave, not even for one night. ]

I have a fast metabolism. It takes a lot more to keep me drunk, and even more to kill me. Dying isn't good drinking buddy behavior. It's off the list.

[Zack hasn't looked at a clock either, honestly. It's just a thing to say.]

Good. Don't need to make things worse by dragging you into it and getting you hurt. I'm trustin' you.

[He's not sure he has it in him to play watchdog even on a good day- he's just not built for that kind of responsibility. Still, if Wolfwood did get sick, he'd carry the poor guy home.]

[ It's a small thing, but Wolfwood feels a warmer spark from Zack trusting him than from the whiskey. He wasn't going to cause Zack any problems tonight before that statement, but he's especially not doing it now. Whiskey may fade, but he wants that spark to stay. ]

Only thing you dragged me into is dragging your sorry ass home at the end of the night if you need it. You're not that heavy. It won't be hard.

[Zack huffs a laugh at that, brief and a little bitter, but he raises his glass in salute.]

You're the real hero tonight, man. Thanks.

[ Wolfwood raises his glass in common, even if it is a gesture to him. It's not much, really, what he's doing. ]

If you want to wind up on the floor for the night, drink at home. Then no one has to worry about walking.

Drinking at home's even more depressing than this. At least going to a bar gets me out of the house. Less wallowing.

[ Wolfwood laughs. ]

You just called me more depressing. Not in a while mind you, but Vash and I have both done that. Together even.

Ah shit, man, sorry. I think it hits different if you're with somebody, though? I can't point fingers, I've done it, too.

No worries. [ Wolfwood shrugs and laughs. ] Felt like giving you shit. Who hasn't done it?

We've moved up in the world. We're here.

You can give me shit. It's a give-me-shit kinda day. It's worse if you have regrets for not shit-giving later.

[He takes another deep drink of his alcohol.]

We're here... but I'm still figuring out how to deal with bein' the one left behind.

That's good because I give a lot of shit. And nicknames.

[ The serious comment however gets Wolfwood glancing at his drink. He takes a sip. A second sip. Vash is in Folkmore, but the alcohol burns in his heart. ]

I've avoided figuring that out. Things were busy back home, and the moment a pause could have come the fox showed up. I came here, and I haven't thought about that since.

That's probably the wrong way of doing it.

[Zack barks a brief laugh. Feels good to laugh, after all the misery he's been vibing with recently. He'll take the shit, and the nicknames. Very limited complaining.

It's a short-lived laugh, but it happened, and he'll take that gladly.]

Wrong way to who? I dunno how it works, but that feels like a rule you can make up yourself.

[ A laugh like that? It makes Wolfwood grin. Zack can expect more of the same and then some. In the face of all the shit they see, they need it. ]

Deal with being left behind. It's not dealing.

[ Wolfwood shrugs. ]

I'm leaving that as a problem to... some other me. Not me now.

Future you. Always leave the problems to future you. Future me's gonna hate me for plenty.

[He peers down at his glass.]

This is... probably the wrong way. I don't wanna get into the habit of doing this too often, even if it does nothing. Here and there's not bad.

Oh, I've hated past me for plenty. [ His smile is wry. He's been an idiot more than he cares to count and worse than that.

He listens however to Zack's concerns. Not making a habit. Those aren't intentions he's used to hearing the night of the drinking itself, more the morning after. ]

If you can say that tonight, you're doing better than you think. There's always somewhere to go fight things or the option to develop some kind of healthy habit.

Man... I used to jump on that sort of shit. It's part of being a SOLDIER, y'know? Mako or whatever alien stuff they put in me... I love fighting. More than I ever did as a kid.

[Maybe that's the side effect he got from Jenova. Not immune, and no mind control, just a thirst for violence in ways that make it fun.]

It'll probably come back. Later... right now I just ain't got it in me. It's a good idea. [For later. When the pain's scabbed over.]

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