Summary: A series of shipping-focused continuous/separate drabbles, ficlets and one-shots. The ratings, genres and pairings may/will vary

Chapter summary: Alcohol only brought up bad memories, Chapuza mused. But as they say, misery loves company.

Genre(s): Angst

Pairing(s): Lady Gobbler/General Chapuza, implied past relationships, implied one-sided pairings

Warning(s): Implied adult themes.

Disclaimer: El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera is copyrighted by Nick, Mexopolis and its creators Jorge R. Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua. Any referenced works are owned by their respective creators.


General Chapuza stared into his glass. He twirled it, passive, cold eyes gazing at nothing before he gulped it down.

Silence reigned in the bar as he sat alone with his thoughts. It was better this way, he mused, even if there was a small part of him that was compelled to rant his feelings away, even if it was just to the quiet bartender standing across him, the only other soul to keep him company.

Chapuza shook his head, only a few drinks and the alcohol was already affecting him with foolish thoughts. Old age truly was getting to him.

Before he could wallow in any more thoughts regarding the consequences of aging and immortality, the light tinker of bells rang, announcing a new arrival at the bar.

Chapuza did not look up, still as if he were the only one in the building; even as the seat beside him was taken, he ignored the familiar, high-pitched timbres that ordered the same of what he was drinking.

Minutes passed, silence still reigned absolute if not for the occasional tinkering glasses and quiet sips.

"So, no offer to buy me a drink or anything? Like a gentleman would?"

Chapuza set down his cup with a sigh. He should've known he wouldn't be able to drink in peace. Not with her here, at least.

"And why should I offer you such courtesy, Lady Gobbler?" he asked, finally turning to the woman who'd been quietly drinking beside him up until now.

The tiny elderly woman sent him a sideways glance and shrugged. "Shouldn't you aid a lady in distress?"

Chapuza had enough self-control left in him not to scoff at her. "I see. Would you be so kind as to enlighten me as what seems to be troubling you so?"

Lady Gobbler turned towards him just enough to throw him the most poisonous glare she could muster, a flare of rage surging through her veins when she took in his cold eyes filled with malice and, her already alcohol-clouded mind insisted, mirth.

He knew exactly the reason why.

"Ah, touchy subject I assume? My apologies. Then, if I may, let me guess what may be the source of your 'distress'. So I may help you, just as you wished, yes?"

Lady Gobbler remained silent, refusing to look at him, but not moving away from her seat- and the conversation- either.

Chapuza took her lack of a protest as permission to procced.

"Then, let's begin. Is it trouble with work?" he didn't feel the need to specify which work he was referring to.

"No?" he continued when met with silence. "Well, then, is it family-related?" Lady Gobbler remained impassive, but Chapuza's ever observant eyes caught the light twitch of her fingers wrapped around her glass.

"Not quite, but close," he hummed in thought. "Last question. Is it love- no, is it Rivera-related?"

Same question, different words. If an Aves had her suffering rooted in love, an equally redundant idea, then there was a Rivera involved. Regardless of the nature of the relationship between those involved, bitterness and wrathful scorn clung to the villainesses like a second skin.

As it did to most villains.

Chapuza anticipated the glass flying in his direction, but not the small basket of appetizers. He wiped the crumbs off his face, the slightest expression of disgust and annoyance coloring his undead features.

"Seems like we found the source of your problems, my dear Lady. Oh, and what a surprise it is."

"Quit acting all high and mighty, Chapuza," she growled, voice low and quiet. "You know damn well why I'm here. I know why you are here."

Chapuza merely stared at her, stoic facade unbroken. Tight lips in a thin line twitched, and both villains turned back to their drinks.

Silence filled the room once more, deafening, ill silence.

Despite himself, Chapuza found his gaze shifting; from his peripheral vision, he could see Globber steadily alternating between filling her glass and gulping it down, like there was no tomorrow.

His lips twitched downwards, her soft murmurs almost too low and slurred for anyone too understand, but being this close, side-by-side, Chapuza found himself the sole spectator of something private, more of a nonsensical string of words than a rant.

Lady Gobbler stubbornly shook her bottle, soon upturning and inspecting the darn thing- she couldn't already be out of alcohol, could she?

The bird-themed villainess blinked, her glass filled up once more. She turned to the blue-skinned man beside her, incredulous eyes searching for an answer.

Chapuza retrieved the bottle and poured some for himself. "Don't look at me like that. You were the one who insisted I got you drink."

The elderly zombie grabbed his now full glass and raised it towards her. "Cheers," his tone unwavering and his eyes unreadable, "To a doomed union and a miserable reunion."

Lady Gobbler snorted. "Cheers," she muttered back. She sipped her drink slowly, feeling much calmer with the unspoken truce between them. She leaned her head against her palm, "I can't believe they're getting married. Again."

Chapuza's stoic expression was replaced with a frown. A pause. A sip. "Third time's the charm, as they say," he told her with a shrug and took another sip.

Lady Globber let out a humorless laugh and followed suit.

The whole situation was rotten. A sense of déjà vu washed over the two villains, to many, many years ago...

Chapuza shook his head. Things were much different now, even if the situations were disgustingly similar.

Back then they were younger, much more naive, much more inexperienced to the troubles of love and relationships. Back then they were sure they'd lost their loves, never to be reached again once tied in matrimony...

Ha! And hadn't that turned out well?

Yet, here they were, decades later, drowning their sorrows in drinks once again. They'd both loved and lost, learned and taught. They were accomplished villains, they had families now- their children had children of their own, already!

And yet...

'Some things never change', mused the undead villain.

He stared his companion out of the corner of his eye. As pathetic as she could be, the bird-themed villainess had a much better hold on her emotions nowadays.

He remembered it quite well. How the bar ended a complete wrecked mess of broken glass and burnt wood, and the bartender, bruised purple and black.

He also remembered her expression- easier to read back then.

There was rage, so much rage, bloodcurling screams and animalistic growls leaving her throat, and sadness, deep, despaired sobs racking her body; constantly changing, swiftly, abruptly, between the two as she destroyed the bar, as she attacked and fought and clung to him.

Even back then she was a tiny little thing, and she'd never looked smaller than back then, consumed with grief and heartbreak.

He'd shared her rage and heartbreak too, longing, wanting, ethereal white locks in his mind.

All he had was pitch-black.

She too longed for something else, but the warm, tan embrace, so much like the sun, had been out of her reach, and she had to find comfort in the night, cold, azure, stoic.

But that was many years ago.

There was a time they'd both got what they wanted-

...or so they thought.

Turns out you can't catch was never meant to be caught.

They'd still managed to find a small happiness in other people, and, for a moment, it seemed like it'd work out this time.

For a small, fleeting moment...

Chapuza shook his head. Alcohol truly did terrible things to his head. What use would it be to be mulling over such things now? Clinging uselessly to the past was a foolishness he'd come to associate with Lady Globber.

The undead villain sighed. He glanced at the villainess. She seemed lost in her thoughts, just as he was.

General Chapuza had no intentions of comforting the turkey-themed villainess. Whatever connection they'd shared back then was gone now, and he still looked back at the memory in distaste, his appalling weakness something he'd rather not remember. She felt very much the same, he figured.

However...

Although Lady Globber was not a friend, and although she coudn't hold a candle to either of the mothers of his children, she was still a villainess he rather respected. And she, as she'd told him, was still a lady. A particularly distressed one.

Chapuza stood up and walked closer to her. "If I may, Lady Gobbler... I think we're both wasting our time here." She quirked a brow. Chapuza continued, "I do believe there's a much more entertaining program for us to do."

Lady Gobbler's interest was piqued. "Oh? Do tell."

Chapuza smiled. "I don't believe for second that their wedding will turn out any different this time. So, would you like to accompany me and watch the spectacle of a disastrous wedding?"

Lady Gobbler gave him a smirk of her own, very pleased with the idea herself. "Oh? And how do you plan on doing that? I don't think we were invited."

"Technology has advanced wonderfully. We don't have to get inside any churches to witness it. All we have to do is set our seats and get ready to enjoy the show. So, what do you say?" Ever the gentleman, Chapuza offered his arm to her.

Lady Gobbler let out a delighted laugh, "You sure know how to convince a girl. It's a date," she smiled, joking and playful for the first time in that night. She slipped her hand around his arm, "But you're paying for the food." She turned to him, suddenly very serious, "No brains."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he replied in a similarly serious tone, despite the smirk on his face. "Now, shall we?"

"Lead the way, General."


Author's note: Here is a Lady Gobbler/General Chapuza piece, as suggested by Ghostwriter434. I imagine if they ever had a 'thing', it would be something like this. Many things implied here, so make your own conclusions. Hope you guys enjoyed it!