Hi, everybody! I just wanted to say how much it means to me that all of you are still sticking with me and this series after so long. It means just as much as this series means to me. This is probally the first thing I've worked on where I've managed to develop a solid work ethic, to the point where pumping out over 700 words most days is just something I do. Needless to say, I've still got plenty of plans for this series, both into the new year and beyond, and I hope you enjoy it! And last but not least, I know that with everything going on in the world, it can be hard to get yourself in a merry mood, but I still feel this needs to be said: Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year!
"And that's how the evil chilli dog from hell freed Bun and saved Gaea's Solstice! How was that?"
Sonic, Tails, Johnny, Manic, and Bunnie were all sitting around a campfire in the middle of Knothole forest. The fire was warm and crackling like a small sun, and though everyone already had their fur and quills to keep them toasty, one couldn't say it didn't set the mood. The thick, tall trees with their red and brown leaves loomed over them like spectres, and the dark skies were dotted with brilliant, shining stars as though they were angels from on high. All in all, it was the perfect setting for a ghost story.
Not that Sonic told it particularly well. Between the ghost being both an evil chilli dog and somehow the hero of the story, as well as another character being a literal hotdog bun, one had to wonder if there wasn't something in that actual chilidog Sonic had just scarfed down. They all looked at their dogs, wondering if it would be best to save them for another day. Not that Bunnie had even touched hers, but that was neither here nor there. Or at least that's what she thought.
Manic, at the very least, was not amused. "Dude. You call that a ghost story?"
"Hey, it's like not like I wanted to tell it! I drew the short straw, remember?"
"Which still baffles me," said Tails. "Not that I'd condone it, but you had plenty of time to swoop in and rearrange the straws without us batting an eye. Course, you'd probably get stuck telling a story on account of us finding out anyhow, so I guess that's mute."
"You really do know how to stick up for your big bro, don't you, Tails?"
"Hey, can't blame the kid for being honest," said Manic, scarfing down a chili dog with the logic of, 'Hey, why not?' "Unlike you, he's got a solid head on his shoulders. No offence."
Sonic did his best not to scowl with contempt, though it didn't come easy. "All taken."
Meanwhile, Bunnie was busy trying her best to eat her own chilidog. And failing miserably at doing so. She opened her mouth to chomp into one like she meant it, but no dice. She tried again, this time going for a mere morsel. Nada. She finally attempted a simple small nibble, but sadly, it wasn't to be. And it wasn't something that Sonic didn't notice.
"Hey, Bunnie, what gives? You haven't even had a nibble. What gives? Don't tell me I scared you off the stuff?"
"Sorry, hon. No, it ain't that. It's just, I haven't really been all that hungry."
"I've noticed," said Tails. Ever since being promoted to a member of the Science Team a few days ago after the Track and Field incident, Tails had started acting a bit… odd. It was nothing that out of the ordinary, at least on its' own. He was more attentive, a bit more orderly, a tad more keen to get himself involved in other people's problems. Perhaps he was overcompensating for something? Nevertheless, it was nothing too intrusive. It was just… odd. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong with you?"
Bunnie sighed as if she knew he was right but couldn't bring herself to admit it. "I don't know. Maybe it's just everything that's been goin' on lately. With Antoine and his dad and everything else, maybe it's the stress that's gettin' to me."
"Let's hope so," said Johnny. "How's Antoine doing by the way? I didn't really get a chance to talk with him after we all got back to Knothole. Had to brief Sally and the others on what went down. Someone had to."
"It's hard to say. He's puttin' on a brave face and all, but underneath all that, I still think he's hurtin'. But knowin' he's got people rooting for him makes it a bit easier. And I'm doin' what I can too. It's gonna be tough, but I think, no, I know he's gonna make it. But he's also just gonna need some time to himself."
"I guess." Johnny drank a swig of water from his cantine as if giving himself time to change the subject. "So, those upgrades you've got. What brought those on, anyway?"
"Well, I guess I just felt it was something I had to do. Rotor had been bugging me to get myself up to snuff, but I didn't want anything to do with it. Until Ant' knocked some sense into me. I just felt that if there was no going back, then the only thing to do was move forward. And this seemed the best way of doing that. Course, now there's no way at all of goin' back. But if what Rotor said was true, I guess there wasn't any goin' back anyhow." She tried to eat the chilidog again. "No go."
Johnny couldn't help but notice her lack of appetite. "You okay?"
"Course I am! I'm right as rain! Nothin' to worry about! ...Ah, who am I kiddin'? Maybe there IS somethin' wrong with me."
"You sure you don't want to come in for a test?" said Tails. "Even just a check-up from Quack wouldn't be a bad idea."
"I'd like to say I'm just fine, but that would be fibbin,' wouldn't it? I guess it wouldn't hurt."
"Alright," said Tails. "Just let me know when you want to come in and we'll see what we can do."
Sonic had been paying attention well enough, but his gaze had started to wander until Tails suddenly mentioned the lab. Which caused Sonic to get just a mite curious. Especially for him.
"So, lil bro. What you been up to over the last week? They all treating you okay? More importantly, when are you gonna start building Mobenstien's monster? If you're gonna be a mad scientist, you might as well do it right!"
Tails slid a hand down over his face as if he could scarcely believe the sheer idiocy that had just slipped past his ears. "I'm fine, big bro," said Tails. "Though thanks for asking. But no, I couldn't be happier! We're doing something in there all the time, whether it's something like building a new weapon, doing tests on Shortfuse, or trying to figure out how to break the forcefield around Mobotropolis. That sort of thing. And the best part of this is, they don't treat me like I'm just some kid; they treat me like one of the team!"
"Which you are," said Johnny.
"Yeah," said Manic. "Don't ever forget that, cuz'."
Tails was taken aback. "'Cuz'?"
"Well, if Sonic's gonna start calling you his lil' bro, then I guess that makes you me and Sonia's little cuz. Don't it?"
Tails hadn't really thought of it that way before. Though in hindsight, it made a strange sort of sense. "Oh. I guess it does. Thanks. Cuz."
"Don't mention it!" Manic laid back on the grass, staring up at the sea of stars above him. "You know, Johnny, you were saying something about all of these stars earlier. Something about how it's got something do with Gaea and a clown car?"
"Wasn't that how the evil chilidog got out of hell the first time around?" said Bunnie.
"Oh, yeah," said Manic. "Keep getting the clown car mixed up. My bad."
Johnny was not amused. "ANYWAY. Yeah, there's a story about the stars, alright. Back home, we got plenty. Much as I try to forget sometimes." He reached the top of his chest and pulled out his silver medallion, still wrapped around his neck as ever.
"Some say they're the result of Gaea crying its' eyes out when it realized just how sucky things were. That life isn't fair. That you can't take everything for granted. Then there's another where Gaea noticed everything was just a bit too dull around these parts, so it lit up the night sky to liven things up. Then there's another that says it's our spiritual punishment, for not believing in Gaea as much as we should. As far as I'm concerned, that one's a load of bull."
"Wow, sugar!" said Bunnie. "You come up with that all by yourself?"
"Nope. It's all ancient myths and legends. Though for most of us in Hilltop, it's all too real. Gaea's got a real strong following up there."
"Yeah," said Bunnie. "I mean, nearly everyone knows Gaea, but it's really strong over in the rural areas. My folks over in the Wood Zone plains are true believers, no joke. My folks. Oh, I hope they're alright."
Manic started to appear somewhat uncomfortable, oh so slightly shifting and turning in place as though he wasn't sure whether or not he should still have been there. "Well, at least you have 'em. Can't say the same for me."
"Hey," said Sonic, "you still got—"
"DON'T TALK ABOUT HIM!" The forest suddenly became still, the incessant chirping of the birds, the hooting of the owls, the wild calls of beasts having ceased to be. Johnny's eyes momentarily shifted toward a small bush over in the brush, but they quickly set their gaze back on Manic. His eyes were intense, burrowing into Sonic's like nothing else. And Bunnie and Tails weren't sure what to make of it.
"Whoa!" said Bunnie. "Calm down there, hon. Just—"
"Hold it," said Sonic. Surprisingly for the blue blur, he seemed the most calm and collected of all. As if this wasn't anything out of the ordinary for him. "Manic, it's okay. Sorry I said that. And all the other times I said it. We cool?"
It took a while. A long while. But eventually, it finally seemed to do the trick. Manic's gaze started to loosen, his jaw easing up as the forest returned to its' usual liveliness. Manic took deep, heavy breaths, almost as if the very act of getting serious had been an endurance test. "Yeah. Sorry about that, cuz. I shouldn't have snapped like that."
"You're right, you shouldn't have. But I shouldn't have brought him up either. My bad."
"Uh, I hate to ask," said Bunnie," but who's 'him'?"
Manic wasn't sure whether or not he even wanted to answer, but decided that after that little outburst, they had the right to know why. "My father. Not that I ever knew him. He had a little one-night stand back with my mother years ago. Next thing she knew, he was long-gone and, within a month, she'd found out she was pregnant. She was already struggling to make ends meet; he had to knock her up and leave her in the middle of the night without so much as giving a 'by your leave'?!"
Manic slowly slid a palm over his face, as if he almost couldn't bear to say another word. And yet, with everyone hanging on what he said next, he did.
"My mother hated me. No, that's not it. She hated HIM. And seeing my lil' face every morning, well, that didn't really help matters, did it? I didn't get "I love you," or "have a nice day," or "watch out for that icy patch. "For me, it was, 'Your father was a misbegotten deadbeat,' or 'why did you have to fuck everything up,' or "I wish you'd never been born." Little nuggets of wisdom. How's that for motherly love?"
Bunnie, Johnny, and Tails could scarcely hear another word. Whereas Sonic could swear he'd heard it all a million times. And as for Manic, he was nearly ready to break down into tears. But not just yet.
"If he had been there. If he'd been there, maybe things would've been different. Maybe she'd still be here. Maybe I wouldn't have been stuck on the streets barely getting by. Maybe I'd actually have a family. Instead, I'm a recovering kleptomaniac who cries out for mommy in his sleep. Because I guess even though she hated my guts, I still loved her. How's that for fucked up?"
"Hey, it's not all bad," said Sonic. "You met me, didn't you? And Sonia."
"Wait a cotton pickin' minute," said Bunnie. "How long have you guys known each other anyway?"
"Just three years. That's when Sonia found him. We didn't even know we had another cuz'."
"It was purely luck of the draw," said Manic. "If she hadn't found me when she did, if she hadn't noticed the family resemblance, if I hadn't told her what I'm telling you—"
"He'd still have been stuck on the streets till doomsday," said Sonic. "Basically, Sonia and her folks were on a trip to Stardust City when they managed to run into Manic. One thing led to another and now we've got another cuz'. And we've had him for three years."
"Yeah." Manic scratched the back of his head as if everything was only now coming into scope. "Since then, I've been staying at Sonia's, mooching off her folks and living the high-life. Which I gotta tell ya, after spending so long wondering if dirty old shoes were edible out of desperation, it's like a Godsend. But sometimes I wonder if I deserve it. Or if I belong there. It's like something out of a fairy tale. And fairy tales just aren't something I believe in."
"Sounds like you should," said Bunnie. "I mean, you've got a family, a home, and you're kinda filthy stinking rich. All I know is if I ever wound up in that kind of life, I think I'd be a mite more grateful."
Manic was put on the spot. "And I am! But it doesn't change how I feel. About everything. Or about HIM."
Johnny felt another outburst was coming on, so he felt it was time to head it off at the pass while he still could. He stretched out his arms and slowly got up off the ground, like a monkey awakening from a long rest. "Right! It's been fun, but we've got a hell of a day tomorrow. Or at least some of us do."
Indeed. As they all knew, Harvey and his networks had noticed something odd going on in the more mountainous regions of the island. Strange vibrations, odd tremors, and just a touch of volcanic activity. All of this was looked at by the Science Team, and while they couldn't verify it on account of not actually being there, they were still pretty certain there was SOMETHING going on. And so, with Johnny at the helm and one of the scientists tagging along, they were set to go straight off the next day. And as for where exactly they were heading to…
"Right," said Tails. "The Hilltop Zone seems to be the source of the vibrations, so that's where we're going to have to go."
"Yeah. And seeing as that's where I'm from, I guess I've been drafted." He looked at the gleaming pendant still hanging around his neck. It glistened in the pale moonlight, almost as if bathing in its' radiance. He wanted so badly to turn away so that he wouldn't have to look at it a second longer. So that he wouldn't have to remember. But what good would that do him? He clenched it tight and held it close, vowing never to forget. As he had often done. Because as far as he was concerned, he couldn't afford to.
Just then, a faint rustle could be heard in the bushes. Most of the others didn't hear so much as a pin drop, with Manic being the only one besides Johnny who heard it. The both of them look intently at a nearby bush, and as they looked at one another, they both knew what to do. They started to turn back towards the rest of the group, both pretending that they hadn't noticed the bush in the end. That everything was as it should have been.
Which it wasn't. As soon as they were about to sit back down, they lunged for the bush like wild dogs going for the jugular.
"WHOA! DOWN DOGGIES!" Sticks leapt out of the bush, landing in the centre of the camp and just in front of the campfire. She was the same as ever, dressed in nothing but a loincloth and a strap of cloth to cover her breasts, and just as wild. Or at least just as much as ridiculously paranoid. "BACK, YOU SCURVY DOGS! I'M ON TO YOU! I'M NOT GONNA LET YOU SUCK ALL THE COCAINE OUT OF OUR CHILDREN'S BRAINCELLS IF I HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT! WHICH I DON'T! SO WHY AM I STILL TALKING?!"
"That's what I want to know." Johnny was busy dusting himself off, same as Manic, as he started to confront that little pile of insanity head-one. "Just what the hell were you doin', anyway?"
"Oh, that. Well, first I was busy picking some goober juice from the goober trees. Everyone thinks they're cherries, but they're really goobers, so no-one wants 'em. More for me, I say!"
"Don't tell us that was it," said Manic.
"It wasn't, actually." For a second, something seemed to change in Sticks. Her stance became more straightened, her gaze more rational. Everything about her readjusted itself like a slight change to a picture frame, and while she looked the same as ever, the real difference was within. For once in her life, she actually seemed capable of holding a conversation. For up to ten minutes anyway.
"Look," she said. "I know I shouldn't have been eavesdropping. One of the last social skills I remember before being dropped in the boonies. In fact, sides from the Mobian language, it's one of the only things I remember. And the other one is the Hilltop Zone."
Tails was curious. "The Hilltop Zone? You don't think that maybe…"
"That maybe that's where I'm from? I do, yeah. Course, I didn't even remember that so much as a minute ago. Wish I would've remembered where I put . And trust me, you don't want to know about . Just nipping that in the bud." And as everyone started to wonder what the hell was , Sticks decided in a rare moment of intelligence to get to the point.
"Anyway, as soon as you mentioned it, I remembered. The blue, checkered mountains, the burning pits of magma that have no real reason to be in a frigging mountain, seriously, why are they there?!"
"That's something I've been wondering all my life," said Johnny.
"But anyway, yeah. I remember alright. Only that's all I remember. I still don't remember my parents. Not really. Sides from how my Dad used to put on women's dresses. Of all the things I'd remember, I'm kind of impressed that's the one. Makes me wonder about ME."
"Okay, TMI." Manic put his vertical left hand underneath his horizontal right hand as if to say 'time-out'. "So what you're saying is, you wanna come over to the Hilltop zone to see if there's any sign of your folks?"
"That about sums it up."
Johnny put a hand on his chin, as this was something that needed a bit of thinking. "Well, I guess if Sally's fine with it, then there's no reason why you can't. Just gotta make sure with her first. Sides, with how hectic things can get up there, you might even come in handy."
"Really? Thanks! Trust me, you ain't gonna regret this! But you wanna know who WILL regret this? The dusparticlians! The dusparticilians inhabit each and every molecule of a molucle on Mobius, but that's not even the worst of it because let me tell you, someday the high-lord Pussybottoms is gonna come on his giant pussy-bobsled and tell them, 'TAKE US TO YOUR LEADER!' to which they're just gonna say, 'Grab em by the pussy", cause their souls are all bought and paid for by the giant pussy-kat from hell and—"
"On second thought, maybe we will…"
'No… What are you doing to… Hey, what… wait… STOP!'
Chirps lurched forward as though he had nearly stumbled. He had been sitting on a terrace dead centre in Knothole Village, kicking back and taking in the gorgeous night sky as he downed a few bottles of whiskey. And it was just as he was about to finish his first bottle that out of the blue, he remembered. It wasn't much, but it was something. And it still filled him with all manner of dread. He tried to get back to his brewski, but right then and there, sitting by himself in the middle of the night, he just wasn't sure if he could. Which wasn't something he ever thought he would hear himself think.
"Mind if I join you?"
Chirps' gaze raced to his left. Standing in front of the Terrace was… a giant putrid mass of blubber? No, that wasn't right. The booze must have been getting to his brain. He shut his eyes and rubbed them as hard as he could, and when he opened them, he saw… a pile of blubber. Though at least this one had a name. "Big, right? Never thought I'd see a beached whale walking around these parts."
"None taken," said Big, even though he could think of a number of offences for that particular remark. "So is that a yes?"
Not seeing any reason why he couldn't join him, Chirps motioned for him to take a seat. Even if he would have preferred to be alone. "So, what brings you out here this time of night? Looking for some late-night munchies?"
"Kinda, yeah. But then I saw you. And I'd already heard about what went down earlier today. And I figured you needed someone to talk to. So here I am."
Chirps almost wanted to tell him where he could stick it. That he didn't need someone to talk to. That he wanted to be alone. But as he opened his big gaping beak, all he could say was, "And here you are."
"Not much of a talker tonight, are we?"
Chirps couldn't help but chuckle, even if only for a moment. "You've got a point. I guess I've got a lot on my mind. Which is a terrible thing to waste. Sorry. Stream of consciousness. Happens a lot."
"I've noticed." Big took a spare brewski and, with one swift motion of his thumb, popped it wide open. As soon as he did, the frog on Big's shoulder began to quiver and squirm, as though that whiskey was too tempting to pop up. "Sorry, Froggy. Last time, you put on drag and did the hula. And we don't want that happening again, do we?"
Froggie slumped down on Big's shoulder, knowing that, for one reason or another, he was right.
"You want to talk? Fine. How's this for a bedtime story? I don't remember too much about my past before I wound up in the Green Hill Zone. I've got bits and pieces. Enough to know I used to be with the Battle Bird Armada, and that I'd either been a merc or a cop before they did what they did."
"I hate to ask, but who did what?"
Chirps almost didn't want to answer. He sat there for the longest of times, gazing up at the bright, shining moon and stars before taking a deep, heavy breath and making a choice. He then looked Big right in the eyes and tore open his black leather jacket, forcing the zipper open and revealing a countless amount of white feathers underneath. But there was something else there that was of far greater interest. Something straight in the middle. And Big couldn't help but be confuzzled. It was a small green emerald, bright as could be, like something on display in a museum. And it was stuck right in at the top of Chirp's chest.
"You see this? This was stuck in me ages ago. Fifty years, I think. It's why I can do what I do. And why I've been right at forty for fifty years now. Only I'm not sure how it got there."
"That's somethin'." Strangely enough, Big wasn't the only one looking at the green shard. Froggy was doing the same. He was practically mystified, staring at the thing as though it was some sort of idol. As if it were calling to him. Thankfully, Big noticed it right off. "Hey, Froggy! Quit it!" And he did. And Big went right back to staring at the sizeable piece of emerald lodged in Chirps' chest.
"All I remember is someone sticking me on a table and cutting me open like a can of sardines. And Dingo. He's there too. Right on the other table. Right next to me. And the same exact thing's happening to him."
"Sounds kinda morbid."
Chirps rubbed his eyes, as though he were struggling to piece together what little he could. Or perhaps he was merely trying to keep his sanity intact. "And a name. Well, maybe just one. Hell, I only remembered it yesterday. When Dingo brought it up."
"And what name's that? Groucho Harps?"
"Promise you won't tell anyone else? Because if you do, I'll have to kill you. Okay, I won't kill you, but I'll be pretty damn pissed."
Big crossed his shoulders and looked Chirps straight in the eye, intent on making things quite clear. "Word's my bond. Which you can't say about most people."
And as Chirps looked into Big's peepers, he knew he was telling the truth. "I believe you. Right then. Gerald Robotnik."
Big's long, tall ears shot right up like a warning sign, even if only for a moment. "You don't mean THAT Robotnik?"
"I think so. And I also know this isn't the first time he's come up."
"You mean back in the Green Hill Zone? When Eggman's flunkies were using his grandaddy's diary to try and kill a bunch of folks because they were sick in the head?"
"More or less. So if I tell everyone now, before I've got all the pieces together, I don't know what they're gonna think."
Big eased up a bit, his ears settling down and his gaze becoming ever more relaxed. "I understand. I don't agree with it, but I understand. Everything's got things they don't want anyone else to hear. And when you're ready to tell 'em, you know where to find me."
"Thanks. It's just, it's hard sometimes. Sometimes, it's like…"
Chirps looked downward at the ground below. The moon was out in force tonight, and it was strong enough that if one looked carefully, they could see…
"Shadow. A shadow. It's like a shadow. Creeping over everything. Making me wonder who I am, what I've done. I want to be sure of myself. To know that in spite of everything, I've lived my life the way I want. To know that I've got nothing to be ashamed of." He took another swig from the bottle, guzzling down as much as he could.
"But you know what the really damning thing is? There is something I remember. One thing as clear as day. At least up to a point. It was before all of this bullshit happened to me. Before I turned into whatever the hell I am. I was standing behind another guy. He was teetering right on the edge of a cliff, his arms in the air, practically begging for mercy. And I was standing right behind him. Holding a gun in my hand. And the last thing I remember is pulling the trigger."
Silence fell across the terrace. Not even the odd chirping of a cricket would so much as grace their presence. And it was only after Chirps and Big had wallowed in it that it was finally broken.
"Guess you've been through a lot."
"I guess. I just, I don't know. I don't know why I pulled the trigger. I don't know why I was standing there, who that man was, what the hell we were doing on a cliff, none of it. All I know is that I don't know. And that I was standing there with a gun in my hand. So if I ever find out the truth, then depending on what that truth is, I don't know what I'd with myself.
Big scratched his big furry head as if attempting to puzzle everything out as best he could. Until at last, he arrived at the answer. "Look. I can't claim to know everything there is to know about you. I can't say for sure what you should do, or whether or not you're an irredeemable son of a bitch. But what I do know is there's no point in worrying about what you shouldn't worry about."
Chirps was baffled. "Come again?"
"Think about it. Right here and now, what can you do? It's not like you can just call up Gaea or whoever else up and order them to sort everything out. Maybe someday, you'll finally get what you want, but right now, there's nothing you can do about it. So the only thing you can do is live. Best you can. And maybe grab a drink or two if you're really feeling down. That's what I do." And right on cue, Big took a hefty swig from his bottle, guzzling down every last drop he could. "That hits the spot."
Chirps couldn't help but chuckle. Even if only for a moment. "Maybe. Thanks. Which isn't something I say often."
"Don't mention it. Whenever I see someone drinking their brains out, I just can't help but help. If that makes any sense."
"You're a hell of a guy, you know that?"
"Yeeup. And proud of it."
"Funny. I mean it. Usually, I'm the guy making people crack up."
"Who says you gotta hoard all the jokes? I've got a sense of humour too, you know. Just don't get much of a chance to use it. That said, maybe you could stand to have less of one."
Chirps was taken aback. "Excuse me?"
"Look. I know what it's like to not want to let people in. To feel like you don't belong. Like you shouldn't belong. That's part of the reason why I've been travelling for as long as I have. Just never felt like I fit in. And it was only after doing that that I realized it's a two-way street. Fitting in isn't always something that happens. Sometimes, you gotta make the effort."
"Your point?"
"I'm gettin' there. Anyway, I also think that maybe there's a part of you that doesn't want to belong. That you feel you don't deserve to. And that all those bad jokes are your way of expressing that. Well, at least in part. No way all of that's just an act. It's just obvious."
Chirps looked Big straight in the eye. It was as though one wrong move would spell his doom. Not that it would, given that Big was the equivalent of a couple dozen ox, but that was the idea. "You really want to be going there?"
Big nodded matter of fact. "Yup. Anyway, all you're doing is just making people think you're an asshole so they don't want anything to do with you. Not to the point where they want to throw you under a truck, but you're not doing anyone any favours. So maybe you wanna cut it with some of the jokes and start showing them more of the REAL you. Like you're showin' me. And maybe then, you'll feel like you belong. If that's what you want."
Chirps continued to stare at Big. For his part, Big was calm as could be. As far as he was concerned, he had simply told the truth as he saw it, and there was nothing wrong with that. And as for Chirps?
"Gaea." Chirps couldn't help but be impressed. He chuckled just a touch, enough to show that if nothing else, he was amused. "Maybe you should've taken up a job as a counsellor. You ain't half-bad."
"Already taken. Not that I'd wanna be one anyway.
"Seriously though? Maybe you're right. Hell, you probably are. So what do I do about it?"
"Whatever you want to do about it. It's up to you. I'm just telling it like it is."
"Funny." Chirps tried to take another swig of his whiskey, but as he looked into the bottle and shook it up and down as much as he could, he couldn't find so much as a single drop. More was the pity. "Yeesh. Guess I should've stocked up when I had the chance."
"Hey, I've still got some on me if you're REALLY desperate."
"No thanks. Appreciate it though."
"No problem."
Big was about to take another swig before realizing that, in fact, he was out too. "Well. That's stupid."
"Now THAT'S a laugh."
"It is, ain't it?"
First there was a giggle. Then a chuckle. Then a more steady stream of guffaws before both parties were laughing up a storm. And all the both of them could think was that they could REALLY use another bottle of booze...
