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[The six hour cart ride from shore left Hellboy with a crick in his neck and a bad taste in his mouth. Not much surprises him anymore, and after spending who the hell knows how long being hunted by the Baba Yaga, he was glad to be out of her reach, even if he knew he was nowhere near familiar ground.

The guys who fished him out of the ocean had no problem telling him where he was or how he got there, but after a few moments of conversation, Hellboy realized that he just didn't give a crap. Wherever this "In Between" was, he knew it couldn't be good. It was only a matter of time before the real reason he was here reared its ugly head.

Until then...]

Anyone know where a guy can get a drink around here?

[He looks like utter crap, every inch of him cut and bruised, his hair falling out of its knot at the base of his neck, and his jacket blood-soaked and tattered to pieces, but looking presentable is obviously the last thing on his mind.]

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[Liz reaches out to gently touch his hand - she'd give his shoulder a pat, but she doesn't want to bother a sore area.]

Come on, we should be at the Water District soon. [So they'll be able to stop walking and sit down for a little while.]

Yeah. All right.

[He's at your mercy, Liz. He still doesn't know where the hell he is.]

[A few more minutes of walking happen before they finally get into the Water Sector - even if water has never been something she liked, Liz can bring herself to appreciate the beauty of the canals, along with everything else there. While the Water Sector is normally crime-free, it's been picking up as the gang wars have gotten worse, but it's still the most peaceful out of all the districts.

Eventually, she leads Hellboy to a small restaurant - very small. There are only a couple of kedan in there, not including the people working there.]

I don't know what kind of booze they've got here, but it's nice enough. [Liz isn't that much of a drinker, but the arrival of a friend is enough reason to at least let loose a little bit. Besides, Hellboy could easily drink enough for the two of them.]

[Hellboy likes small places. The more hole-in-the-wall the better. He ducks through the door, getting the usual bewildered stares at first, but the kedan are a strange people. All odd colors and not-quite-human appendages. Hellboy's pretty sure the bartender even has gills. He likes it. Makes him feel like less of a sore thumb.

He bellies up to the bar and throws down a chunk of change given to him when he first arrived. He has no idea how much it is or what things cost, but he's feeling reckless.]

You guys sell anything like whiskey around here?

[Then he motions to Liz.] Hers are on me.

[Seriously. He so does not give a crap about much of anything anymore. Wherever this place is, however he got here, he's away from the crap happening back home and he's with Liz. He'll throw away whatever he's got on tonight and he couldn't care less.]

[Congratulations, Hellboy, you just threw down the equivalent of 100 dollars for liquor.

... Not that Liz can blame him, really.]

Whatever you give him, just make sure mine is something marginally weaker. [The bartender just looks at the money, back at them, and nods before getting drinks for both of them. Hellboy's given something that looks like it could maybe be something like whiskey, whereas Liz' drink is pale and somewhat cloudy.

She takes her glass and raises it with a smirk.]

Cheers.

Edited 2012-09-15 07:22 (UTC)

[Hellboy lifts his glass, smirking a little himself. Down the hatch!

He tosses his back and it burns like hellfire on the way down. He swallows with a grimace.] Now that's some pretty damn good stuff.

[He hasn't a drink this stiff since he tried moonshine with a bunch of hillbillies in Virginia. He slides the glass back to the tender and gestures for another.]

[Liz can't seem to wipe the smile off her face as she sips her drink. It's odd, feeling so at ease. Odd... but nice. A welcome change from how things have been, both here and back home.]

I'd tell you to take it easy, but I think we both know that wouldn't work.

Nope. [He's at least smelling this one first, just in case his buddy the bartender tried to make this one even stronger. Seems like the same stuff. He tosses that back too.

As the tender has his back turned pouring a drink for another patron, Hellboy nods in his direction.] Bet Abe would like this guy. Same fashion sense.

[Because you know. Gills. They're all the rage.]

... Yeah, seems like it. [It's still a bit odd thinking about Abe. So much has happened since Hellboy last saw him. He certainly isn't the same person as he was before Hellboy left. Then again, none of them were.

Not really.]

Hmn. [Hellboy senses the change in her mood, nursing drink number three for a bit. Funny. He hasn't thought about Abe in a long time. Being with Liz is definitely dredging up some old memories; some good, some bad. All better than the place he left off.]

He's changed a lot since you left.

Abe's really started taking charge more - sometimes he almost reminds me of you. [And then there's all the stuff involving his past.]

[It makes sense. He guesses someone had to. Might as well be Abe.] Not sure if I should take that as a compliment.

[... Okay, she cracks another grin. She can't help it.]

To be honest, I'm not sure if you should, either. [Teasing.]

[Hey, now. That's hitting below the belt! But he grins anyways.] Easy, Liz. If you're not careful, you might give me a big head.

Right. And we can't let that happen, now, can we? [Liz likes this.

It's been so long since they've last seen each other, and yet they fall back into old routine so easily. It's almost like they were never separated to begin with.]

Have enough trouble getting through doors as is.

[Man, it's nice to have a little self-deprecating humor again. He's been taking himself too damn seriously lately. Way too damn seriously.]

I'm sure. [She's quiet for a few minutes, only taking a drink from her glass every once in a while.]

... I missed this. [Him. Being able to spend time with friends. Feeling happy.]

It's been a while since I've been able to just sit back and relax with a friend.

Edited 2012-09-16 00:26 (UTC)

Yeah. [He says, taking a swallow out of his own drink. Probably number four. He's stopped keeping track.] This is good.

Just waiting to wake up and figure out this was all some kind of dream.

Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm real. [She shoves him - the gesture is playful, but deliberately gentle. She doesn't want to bother him too much with all of those injuries.]

Looks like you're stuck with me.

Sure. [He smiles faintly at the shove, but his mind is somewhere else. He drains his glass and slides it back to the bartender.] Who the hell cares anyway.

[It's pretty much how he's been living these past few years. Ghosts might just be ghosts, but they're better than nothing. Better to just go with acting like it's real than turn around and find the whole room full of skeletons.

But this's Liz. Not a bunch of rum-soaked pirates. Not some long-dead friend of his father. Liz.

He stops himself from thinking any further, tossing back another glass. He used to be so much better at blocking out the bad crap. Now all he has is whiskey to numb his brain.]

[Liz frowns at that, and places her hand back on his arm. It's a bit awkward, but she angles herself in such a way that she can look Hellboy in the eye... or try to, anyway.]

Hey. I'm here, and so are you. I'll stick around the whole night if that's what it'll take to convince you.

[He just... doesn't answer. But he does steal a glance from the corner of his eye, just a flicker to let her know he heard her. That's all he can manage right now.]

Hellboy. [Her voice is firm, now.] You're not dreaming.

I don't know what you were going through or what was happening before Baba Yaga decided to send people after you, but you're not out there, anymore. We're here, which means neither of us has to be alone, anymore. Not as long as we're both here.

Like you said, this is practically a vacation for us. [She pauses to finish off the last of her drink.]

So quit moping. You don't have to be the broody tough guy all the time.

[He thinks about that for a moment, his eyes caught staring at the bottom of his empty glass, frowning.] I hope you're right.

I am. [Said without any hesitation.]

I won't disappear on you, H.B. I promise.

[She knows it's one she can't keep, but what the hell.]

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[Action] help i am drowning in feelings

[Action] /FLAILS

[Action] i can't with these two omg

[Action] so much love augh

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