Refresher: Fang placed a hand on her forehead and fell back against the wall, letting out a heavy sigh. What the hell did that women get herself into?
-Lebreau's Bar-
Claire downed her 14th shot in a split second hissing as the bitter liquid drained down her throat. When she left her house, she walked around blindly before decided that she needed a drink, and the second she arrived at the bar she was finding it hard to stop. She sat at her wooden bar stool hunched over the shinning mahogany wood. The soldier could barely remember what time she left her house, but as she directed her attention to the digital clock behind the bar she saw the numbers rounding off towards 10. She hadn't realized how long she had been gone, but the surroundings of the bar had transfixed the woman to stay and drink to her heart's content.
Directly behind Lightning were two pool tables that were currently occupied by Gadot, Maqui, and Yuj . Next to the pool tables was a huge stage, flashing bright with different colored lights ranging from green and blue to purple and pink. The left end of the stage held a stripper pole, the right end mirrored the image, and directly in the center were two women dancing rhythmically to the loud music stripping off their clothes. Men were hollering at the women who were relentlessly teasing them.
"Lookin a little rough there Light.", Lebreau stated eyeing Lightning's bruised face before plopping another shot on the glistening counter top. "Mmmaybe you should slow down a little?", Lebreau suggested cleaning out another glass before setting it underneath the counter.
"I'd rather not.", Lightning countered sliding her shot around on the wooden surface a few times before pouring the liquid down her throat. The song playing on the loud speakers had ended and all the men erupted into cheers throwing various amounts of money at the ladies who seductively waved before disappearing behind the velvet stage curtains. Lebreau only cocked an eyebrow at the strippers and poured out another shot filled to the brim with tart brown liquid. Claire took the drink in her hands and began rotating it in place, waiting to swallow her choice of poison.
"Where's the fam at tonight hun? No Vanille, or Serah tonight?", Lebreau was attempting to make conversation.
"Tch, family..", Lightning scoffed drinking only half the shot.
"Did something happen?", Lebreau placed a stool in front of where Claire was sitting and sat herself down. The song had switched after a momentary pause and there was now some quiet pop music playing in the background. Claire barely paid attention to it, but it was enough sound to drown everyone's voice besides Lebreau. It was Tuesday, everyone had to work in the morning, but despite that fact new people were constantly shuffling in and out. New women and men were sitting themselves down next to Lightning, gawking at her. The troubled soldier didn't bother giving her attention to anything besides her shot glass.
"You could say that.", Lightning mumbled as she downed the rest of the liquid. "Or maybe I'm the one causing the problems.", She quietly wondered to herself a minute later.
"What was that hun?", Lebreau questioned, trying to get inside the warriors mind. Claire looked up from her fixated stare at her empty shot glass. Her eyes were still swollen and puffy from both her black eye and crying throughout the day. Now they were glazed over with liquor. Lightning was on the verge of bursting into tears again. Her usually stoic and strong personality was breaking and shattering right before her very eyes.
"Sweetheart what's wrong?", Lebreau asked gently placing a warm hand on Claire's cold hard one. Lebreau felt small scars underneath her touch that she knew had never been there before, but was hesitant to press Lightning with anymore questions.
Just then a big husk of a man walked in. His boots were thumping on the ground, the chains on his garments were clanking against each other. His breathing was uneven and rough. Half of the bar went into a frenzy at is entrance.
"Hey big man! How are you feeling, we heard about the robbery, is everything all right?", One voice questioned.
"Yeah how's the lady doing? You kept her safe right?", Another added
"There's the hero, in the flesh, never thought I'd see you again.", Gadot's rough loud voice was heard.
Lightning felt her entire body tensed. Hero? That's impossible, she thought to herself. She put all of her energy into listening to the conversation happening behind her over the roar of the music.
Lebreau hadn't taken her eyes off of Lightning and noticed the change in her demeanor. Her eyes flicked back and forth between the tense woman in front of her, and the bulking man greeting his old friends.
"You can come back behind the bar into my room Light.. He seems distracted anyways.", Lebreau opened up the bar and saw Lightning grab a full bottle of liquor to take with her before she rushed into the room.
"Hey Lebreau!", Snow waved from the pool table just as the woman had disappeared. The sound of Lebreau's name made her jump as she turned to see Snow quickly limping towards her. "Got anything super strong? My meds are wearing off.", Snow flashed a brilliant white smile at the bar tender.
"Just ran out of my strongest darlin', best I got now is plain vodka. What are the meds for?", Lebreau answered pulling the bottle out to show Snow.
"I'll save that story for another day huh? Give me a glass, that'll have to do.", Snow smiled and winked at the bartender throwing some gil on the counter to cover his drinking for the night.
"Comin' right up.", Lebreau poured him two shots, then placed the bottle back under the counter. "Feel free to pour out another shot, just make sure you pay for what you drink. Gadot! I'm gonna take a break really quickly come cover the counter while I'm gone!", Lebreau shouted quickly running into her room located behind the bar and locking the door behind her.
Lightning was sitting in front of Lebreau's desk on the floor, with her strong bottle of liquor opened and flowing down her throat. The room behind the bar wasn't very large, but it was big enough for Lebreau's taste. The desk Lightning was sitting in front of was positioned perfectly centered on the very back wall, a long window on the back wall flowed from one corner to the other. Directly to the right of the door was a make-shift bed, composed of two large mattresses stacked on top of each other. There were dark violet sheets messily covering the mattresses that had not been made. Next to the bed was a small dresser with a intricate lamp twisting from it.
Once Lightning had drained a satisfactory amount she returned a lit cigarette to her mouth, it's ember burning brightly in the darkness as she inhaled the toxic smoke. Lebreau flicked on the lamp located next to her bed as Claire kept alternating between taking gulps of liquor and huge puffs of her cigarette.
"Woah there Farron..", Lebreau ran over to her and snatched the bottle out of her hands. "Take it easy will ya?", She screwed the cap back on the bottle and placed it on her desk behind Claire's head.
"Why? Why is he here!? Fuck!", Claire began shouting with her speech severely slurred as she stood up and leaned against the wall, banging her head harshly against it with a thud. She kept the cigarette in her mouth, and the bang caused flutters of ashes to dance from her cigarette onto her white shirt.
"Hey, Lightning relax.", Lebreau walked over to the girl and snatched the cigarette out of her mouth. She held the glowing stick between her fingers and wrapped Lightning in a hug. "Shhh Light, you need to calm down.", Lebreau whispered behind her ear.
There was a loud knock at the door followed Snow's voice on the other end. "Hey 'Breau? Everything all right in there, do you need some help?", He sounded concerned.
How dare he fucking act like he gives a shit after all the things he's fucking done to my family! Lightning was shouting inside her head. She remained quiet while Snow was speaking and her drunken rage consumed her once his words faded. She attempted to shout in the midst of her hug with Lebreau, but the bartender was quick to cover her mouth.
Under normal circumstances Lebreau never would have been able to hold the strong soldier back, but due to the amount of alcohol she had in her system, it was almost too easy to quiet the girl.
"Everything's fine Snow, just leave me alone!", Lebreau shouted letting go of Lightning's mouth after she was positive the girl would remain silent.
"Okay uh.. Just checking.", Snow bashfully replied from behind the door.
Lebreau waited a few moments to make sure the man was gone before she spoke again. "Light..", She whispered quietly holding the drunken soldier's face in her hands. "Honey, you gotta talk to me. Please tell me what's going on? Lightning I want to help you." Lebreau brushed some of the sticky hair out of Lightning's sweaty face.
"Let me go out there.", The soldier demanded snatching her cigarette back out of Lebreau's hand angrily then taking another huge puff of smoke into her lungs.
"You know I can't do that. Tell me who to call?", Lebreau asked getting up and heading behind her desk to her dresser. She pulled her cell phone off the top and looked at Lightning waiting for her answer.