Filler chapter. Sorry.

Chapter 9:

Vanille awoke with a dull hangover to the sound of voices. Fang's loud laugh echoed throughout the apartment they shared, and caused Vanille to smile. She loved Fang, as Fang had almost always been there for her, excluding her few years in captivity. Vanille sat up and rubbed her forehead, then moved slowly across the room. She froze with her hand on her door handle as she heard a voice she didn't recognize. Frowning, she looked around her room, coated as it was with late afternoon shadows.

She had a sudden need to urinate, which went against her desire to stand in her room and eavesdrop. Fang did not frequently bring people home. Also, Fang was supposed to work. Vanille narrowed her eyes. 'Interesting…' she thought. In the end, the need to empty her bladder won out over her nosy desire to try and keep her wakeful state a secret. She sighed as she left the room.

Stepping into the bathroom and closing the door behind her, Vanille peed and washed her hands, and then brushed her teeth. Then she walked into the living room, where she found two women with beer in hand, and cards spread face-down around a can. A few cards were stuck in the tab of the can. She waved at Fang and the unknown woman on the couch before she yawned and moved into the kitchen. She started the coffee maker and returned to the living room to watch Fang placing the three of Hearts under the tab while the slender pink-haired woman drank.

"Circle of Death, eh?" Vanille asked, leaning on the doorframe.

"Yup. Sunshine here asked me how one acquires a taste for beer, so I thought I'd show her. Oh! This is Vanille. Vanille, this is Claire, remember I told you about her? Well, she goes by Lightning now. Cool as shit name, if you ask me." Lightning looked up at Vanille, her gaze wavering under the influence of the alcohol.

"Hello Lightning. It's so good to meet you." Lightning smiled and put out her hand, and Vanille shook it. 'So thin…' Vanille thought.

"She's, uh… Lebreau gave her a job; she starts the day after tomorrow. But one of the conditions was that she had to move in with us." Vanille's eyes widened in surprise.

"Where's she going to sleep?"

"Well, for now the couch. We'll figure something out." Fang shrugged.

"Ok, well, cleaning day and Karaoke night stay the same." Vanille challenged.

"Of course, 'Nille. Now do you want to play Asshole?"

"Fang, I just woke up. Let a girl get some coffee and food in her, jeez."

Lightning drew a card. It was a nine.

"Rhyme!" Fang declared loudly. "Say a word, and then we go around the table rhyming with it."

"Oh, um… Can."

"Pan."

"Flan."

"Span." Vanille interjected, hoping to throw them off. She silently congratulated herself as the pair stopped and looked at her, their concentration shattered. "Ha! You both suck. Drink." Fang huffed but did as Vanille bid her. Lightning shrugged and did the same. Fang drew a card after Lightning placed hers under the tab. It was a queen.

"Ok. Now this is Question Master. It doesn't go under the tab until another queen is drawn. Big thing to remember is that if I ask you a question, you have to answer with a question. If not…"

"I drink?"

"Yup."

"Fang… I don't know if I like this game." Fang laughed and Vanille left the room, only to return with a mug of steaming coffee.

"Believe you me; it's not as bad as Fuck the Dealer."

"Fuck the dealer?"

"Yeah, that's a rough one. But, it's perfect for two players. Circle of death usually dissolves before two people are halfway through the deck. Asshole is best for four people, but three works too. You deal out the entire deck, so it's dumb with only two people." Vanille shivered, then said,

"Agreed. Remember that time-"

"Yes. I remember that time." Lightning looked between them, confused.

"What time?" Fang sighed.

"We tried it. We went through a twelve pack of beer in fifteen minutes, and then Vanille spent the rest of the night puking."

"Hey! You puked too!"

"Yes, I did. Once. Then I kept drinking. You didn't stop for hours." Vanille pouted, but did not refute the statement. Instead, she said:

"You guys hungry? I'll order a pizza." Fang nodded and Lightning mumbled,

"I could eat."

"Ok!" Vanille exclaimed as she headed back into the kitchen. Fang turned to her long-lost friend and asked,

"So, do you want to stop now?"

"Kinda."

"Ok." Fang then began to randomly push cards under the tab until the can cracked open. She then took the cards out from under the tab, threw them on the table with the rest of the deck, then opened the can the rest of the way before chugging it like a madwoman. Upon finishing it she crushed it and belched uncouthly. "What kind of movies do you like?"

"Um… I haven't watched a movie in… Well, it's been years."

"Alright… Do you want to watch one?"

"I suppose… Why not right?"

"Right. So… action? Comedy? Horror?"

"You choose." Lightning said, taking another drink of her beer. Fang nodded and leapt to her feet, swaying as she moved to peruse the shelves full of DVDs. She put a finger to her chin, squinting at the titles. She finally grabbed one and stumbled over to the TV, which she clicked on before kneeling to insert the DVD. "What did you pick?"

"Shaun of the Dead. It is hailed as a zombie movie parody, but it is really a zombie movie laced with humor." Fang replied, turning. Lightning couldn't help but chuckle.

"You sound like a reviewer." Fanged laughed as well.

"I probably could be."

Vanille returned to the living room with two beers and her phone in hand. She placed them in front of Lightning and Fang, whom had retaken her seat and was pressing the input button on the remote control. The DVD menu popped up, and Vanille sighed.

"This again? I keep telling you, this movie is rubbish."

"Shaddup." Fang replied, gesturing wildly with the remote. She hit play, and the movie began.

Lightning had never been a big movie fan, and was in no way prepared for the overly British movie. But, she did enjoy the part with the records, and found herself caring about the outcome of the characters' attempt to reach the overrated safety of the Winchester. A knock came at the door and Vanille answered it, returning with two large pizzas.

"I wasn't sure what you wanted, so I got a cheese and a meat lovers pizza... Fang, pick up the cards, please."

"On it." Fang said, grabbing them and clicking them on edge into an orderly pile. Vanille laid the pizzas on the table and went to the kitchen to get three paper towels and three paper plates.

"Dig in!" The redhead said, handing out the plates and paper towels. The three ate, and Fang continued to drink, and Lightning's eyes grew heavy. She had finished her beer just after she finished eating, but didn't open the one Vanille had brought her. Within moments, Lightning bowed her head and slipped off to sleep. Moments after that, Fang felt a weight on her shoulder. She turned to see Lightning's head on her shoulder. Vanille left the room after eating, for she thought thet Shaun of the Dead was a dumb movie. Fang watched the whole movie, texting Vanille when she needed a new beer. The first time, Vanille had scoffed and returned to tell Fang off, but seeing the sleeping woman on her shoulder pacified her. At the end of the movie, Fang laid Lightning down and laid a blanket upon her.

"See you tomorrow, Claire." Fang whispered, then put the pizza in the fridge and took five more beers to her room and closed the door.