The wander through Cosmo Canyon left Aeris's throat parched; Tifa suggested taking a break at the pub. "What'll you have?" Tifa asked as they took a seat at the counter.

"Oh." Aeris blinked and glanced at the wall of bottles. Many were familiar enough from past experience. "Just water for me please."

"You sure? You can have anything you like. My treat." Aeris shook her head. "Not a big drinker then?"

"You could say that." Aeris leant on the bar. "It's more like I never found anything alcoholic I could really stand to drink, let alone want to. Beer is-" She scrunched up her face. "-not good. Spirits I can take if they're mixed with something else." Aeris glanced around and lowered her voice. "Like so there's really not all that much of them in the glass."

"It's okay." Tifa put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "You don't have to justify anything. You want water, we'll get you water." She ordered tap water for Aeris and a Cosmo Candle for herself; the bar's signature drink.

Aeris sighed. "Thanks. Just, I do feel left out at times. No fun being stuck with people who are at various stages of merry and you're stone sober."

Tifa leant her head on one hand and studied Aeris as the Cosmo Canyon bartender placed their order in front of them. "So you kind of want to, you just don't like it?"

"Maybe?"

"Then let's see if we can find you something; shots shouldn't hurt too much." Tifa smiled.

"Not liking that idea," Aeris retorted. Too many memories of spluttering through drinks she found she had no taste for.

Tifa shook her head. "No, no. You can drink as little or as much as you like. Anything you don't drink, I'll finish."

Now Aeris studied her friend. "Are you going to be okay with that?"

Tifa slid a little closer. "I'm not wild about getting drunk, but I do like the odd drink. Plus I'm pretty resilient after running a bar for so long. So; let's investigate."

The experiment took a while before they hit on anything approaching a success. Aeris rejected the thick and irksome drink made from cacti local to the area on a single sip. No amount of mixing with anything else was going to make that palatable. The wide variety of peat-based spirits were already familiar and as unpleasant as memory suggested. No matter the cost or apparent smoothness of the drink diminished the harsh burn they all left on the back of her throat.

At least she wasn't alone concerning the potato-based spirit; even Tifa pulled a face at that one. The creamy liqueur on the other hand was half-way decent. So much so, Aeris requested another glass. Something like a chocolate milk-shake with an edge. Nice enough, but after only the second glass, the edge was starting to get to her and becoming a discomfort. "Plus it's really sweet." Aeris gulped her water. "Not wonderful as an option to drink regularly."

"I think some people do drink it all the time," Tifa commented. "No matter; maybe once in a while. It's still a start." She drummed her fingers on the bar. "You okay to keep going?"

Aeris grinned. "Yes! This is kinda fun." She leant closer to Tifa. "Never had anyone to do this with."

"No underage drinking in the Gainsborough household?"

Aeris grimaced. "Mom didn't drink. Despite that I did try stuff, just no one was willing to really allow experimentation like this. So if I didn't like the drink I was kinda stuck. And that didn't help like I said. And I still really don't understand beer."

Tifa looked back at the bottles. "How about something very different?" Sparkling wine was not unpleasant. Definitely more palatable than either red, white or the curious hybrid between the two. "Somewhat pricey as a tipple. They tend to sell this stuff by the glass or the bottle. Shame you really aren't a fan of red. Would be nice to split a bottle."

"I don't mind it after a while," Aeris admitted. "That takes effort though and I never like the idea of getting there."

"Well, if you ever do feel like it, let me know. For now-"

Brandy was something akin to paint-thinner. Tifa suggested a tactics change; cocktails. Limited success and way more expensive. Aeris put a halt to that after the second glass. "Some are okay, but not everywhere sells them, do they?"

Tifa shrugged. "Point. Plus specific recipes will vary." Aeris's head was a little fuzzy by now. "How about rum?"

"I had rum earlier, remember?" Aeris took another drink of water. "It was an almost I think."

"Ah, but this is dark rum."

"Dark rum?"

Tifa smiled. "Bit different. Okay; one shot of The Ultros please!"

Maybe it was in contrast to everything else she tried. Maybe it was from the accumulated sips and tastes all evening; that she had imbibed enough to overcome her initial rejection of alcohol-based anything. Or maybe she did like it. In any case the dark rum tasted pretty good. "I like that," Aeris said savouring the sip as she studied the glass. She gulped the remainder back after a moment and ran her tongue across her lips. "Tastes a bit like the liquer, but nowhere close to as sweet."

"Success!" Tifa smiled. "Want more?"

"I think I can chance another glass."

Tifa ordered a bottle for them to share, assuring Aeris that she was under no obligation to help her drink the entire thing right there. "My treat," Tifa said as they moved to one of the tables.

Aeris slouched back in her chair and sipped at the rum. This was something different, something nicer and now the world was a bit fuzzier, a bit more distant. Drinking too much would not be a good idea, but for now it was fine. "Thank you."

"No problem. Even if you found nothing you liked this would have still been a good evening. I had a nice time with you here, and we haven't had down-time like this since Costa del Sol. Kinda glad the buggy broke down." She took the glass Aeris held out and took a gulp. Aeris accepted the glass back and took another sip. "We did need to come here. For Red-" She bit her lip. "I mean Nanaki." Tifa's brow furrowed. "Gotta remember his name."

"Too used to calling him Red." Aeris smiled, the amusement dissipating a moment later. "But that's what he called him. And I don't want to think about him."

"Urgh," Tifa said. "No way."

"R- Nanaki said I might be able to find someone here to tell me about my past as well," Aeris said after another sip and an increasing heat in her cheeks.

"Oh. Oh, I'm sorry I dragged you in here. We should go-" Tifa stood to leave and Aeris waved her to sit back down.

"Don't worry; it can wait until tomorrow. I'm glad I came here with you; this really is nice," Aeris stressed.

"If you're sure?" Aeris smiled and held the glass out. Tifa smiled back as she swallowed another mouthful of rum and refilled the glass.