heteroduplexing | [Closed] Sisters function as safety nets in a chaotic world

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[Closed] Sisters function as safety nets in a chaotic world

Despite the nature of Jill's career, bars and taverns had never been a very frequent destination of hers until recently. "Frequent" being no more than once a week at the very most, and even then she didn't always drink, if she was the drive home. It wasn't that much different now, although she hadn't had to worry about the designated driver part for a while, considering walking tended to be her primary method of travel lately. As for "recently," that was a definition considerably harder to place; time and space weren't always easy to define, she'd found, much like memory, sensation, thought, all the things she'd once considered solid and intangible.

If pushed, she would have defined it as ever since Africa, because that seemed to be the point from which every strange thing began. Strange, that was, in terms of the unknown beyond the unusual things that existed where she originally came from. Home.

Definitions and technicalities aside, Jill was most definitely in the mood for both that bar setting and a drink tonight. So with her usual bag on her shoulder and holster on her thigh, she set out pretty late into the evening, appreciating the cooling summer air on her skin as she went. The town only hosted one bar that she knew of, but it wasn't the bar itself as much as the company she expected that would have made it her favorite either way.

As predicted, the place appeared empty when she entered; with half an hour until closing time, that was what Jill had intended, although the town wasn't exactly buzzing with typical city activity at any time of day.

The door closed with a jingle behind her and she made her way up to the bar, setting her knapsack there before casting another glance around. The aforementioned barmaid was probably in the back, then.

With a small grin, Jill called, "Hey! Can I get any service around here?" Her smile was audible in her voice -- joking, mostly, but also with some genuine warmth. She'd had her diverse share of friends, acquaintances, and comrades alike over time, and it wasn't a stretch to say Tifa was one of her closer ties. What they lacked in similarities between their homelands, they made up for in trust and a treasured friendship; good as well as bad times together had a tendency to produce a rare kind of bond (which, in Jill's experience, could go either way), and God knew she and Tifa had had plenty of both between them.

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Jill's smile grew a bit at the refill, and she nodded her silent thanks before drinking some more, taking her time. She was more careful these days about how much alcohol she let into her system -- "these days" being before this whole mess, a time of being forced to mature beyond her years by a world that could be just as unforgiving as the crossroads between other ones. Jill had had her rough nights back then, too -- before this, before Africa, even, when the nightmares and the reality were sometimes too much to handle.

Looking back, it all felt so insignificant in comparison to the burdens she carried now. The bad, the good... at the end of the day, sometimes their weights were the same.

But as careful as she was, this was a night to let that go, regardless. She would have agreed that yes, they deserved that much.

Jill's was a delayed reaction, but she raised her glass as well with a nod. "The only way we can," she added, and drank to that. Gladly.

"Gives us something to look forward to," she went on a moment later, her glass touching down on the counter a little heavier than intended. Not too loud, not too rough, but enough that even her muddled senses could detect the difference. "That, and... putting up with the most clueless of men." It was a grin, but there was a touch of affection there, too. "Because obviously we don't have enough challenges."

The drink was sweet, and the alcohol bit it back sharply in contrast as it flowed down her throat. Just the way it intended. Just the way that they needed in that moment. Because, as they both knew, there was some satisfaction in the pain. There was some comfort in the bitter aftertaste.

It was a good thing neither one of them made a habit out of imbibing. Considering what she knew of Jill's strength, her counter would not survive too many nights of drinks.

"Those challenges, at least, can be amusing at times." Not so much the other stuff that made their lives difficult - unbearable for most. But at the end of the day, the former was at least a reason. Frustrating as they could be, they gave them some sense of purpose. With the promise of someone being there waiting for them at the end of the path they walked, it was nice to have something to believe in beyond survival or themselves.

It felt nice, though, not having to think about those kinds of things for one night. Strange without having that constant part of herself throughout the evening, but still nice. "The other kind, not so much."

Jill actually laughed at that, a short, impulsive, but genuine sound obviously set into motion by the lovely drink. She would gladly focus on the better of the two categories, especially when her current state of mind would coax her into loosening her death-tight grip on some of those memories.

She never spoke about them partly because she had few close friends that she could really trust, like Tifa; but also because there was an immature fear there, an unconscious anxiety that letting those recollections out might make them more susceptible to tampering.

But they were here, together, tonight, with Jill feeling unusually safe between these simple walls. She could let go a little more.

"Amusing is... one word for it," she agreed, her laughter done but a grin on her lips all the same. Passing her glass between her hands, she shook her head lightly. "Back... in the Underworld -- this was before you arrived -- we once had dinosaurs attack the town. Raptors, or whatever. But the trick was that once you killed them, they came back. Zombie dinosaurs."

It had been nothing to laugh about at the time, especially when one had managed to rip her shoulder open, but looking back... it was hard not to find some kind of amusement in the absurdity of it all.

"Anyway, the guy I was living with -- he'd joked a few months before about the possibility of getting attacked by dinosaurs. I told him that if it happened, I'd feed him to them personally." Another laugh, warmer than the first.

"...Let's just say that by the end of that incident, I had him convinced it was his fault. I'm sure it really was just a coincidence, but..." Jill shook her head with a soft snort, bringing the drink up again. "I milked that one for a while."

Not that John hadn't deserved it. There was a lot about him that Jill let slide, knowing who and how he had been before she'd had an effect on him, so a dose of humility like this one had been earned. In Jill's opinion, anyway.

"Ah, yes, zombies," she mused, looking down at her glass as she rolled the contents around. Granted, the barmaid wasn't as versed in their canon as Jill. But since starting this journey through the worlds, Tifa had experienced enough encounters between the undead to be familiar enough with their concept. Not to mention the fact that she'd had her fair share of beasts and dragons back on Gaia universe.

Alive, they were already a force to be reckoned with. Resurrected, she could only imagine how difficult it would've been to deal with.

But then, that was the charm of the Underworld, wasn't it? That much became obvious after only a week.

Moving behind around behind the counter, she slowly made her way into the back, sifting and searching through the fridge for a quick little snack they both could share. Because alcohol was nice enough, but drinking on an empty stomach gave the risk of a not so joyous morning. "Those things are hard enough to deal with without them being dinosaurs."

A few moments later, she came back with two plates of a simple cake, a soft smile playing across her lips. "I'm sorry I missed it."

"I'm sure the dinosaurs weren't," Jill replied with a knowing glance. She accepted the offered plate with a grateful bob of her head. "Thanks."

She'd steered clear of sweets for the longest time, literally unable to stomach anything very rich, but with most of her physical recovery behind her, her limits were back to normal or better. This was more than welcome.

As she began cutting into her piece, she glanced up at Tifa. "So. How about you? I've been rambling, but... how's the barmaid life been treating you around here?" It was a mostly uneventful place, this one -- nicely so, if almost boring after a while, but that could be appreciated. "Many passersby lately?"

Part of her wanted to rebuttal that argument, believing that any walking bag of meat would've been welcomed for the undead dinosaurs. The more people there were, the more meals to tear apart and share among them. But that was an unimportant matter. Tifa had missed the event all the same, and she was glad for it, for herself and the family she'd managed to make out of the broken pieces that were found along the way. For the others who had to suffer through the ordeal, the young barmaid could only hope that the agony hadn't lasted for long.

Pushing that thought aside as she was want to do, the young woman turned her attention back to the other, smiling soft as Jill cut into her piece without hesitation. It wasn't often that Tifa could get her to indulge in a pastry or treat - just a quick meal and the glass of whatever drink had drawn her there - so it a pleasant sight.

"It is what it is." She shrugs at the idea of it. For a long time, now, it seemed like this had been Tifa's life. She'd been a server at a bar during her entire stint in the Avalanche organization. After the fall of Meteor and the building of Edge, Cloud and the others helped to build a place of her own to run. And now, here she was again, giving comfort and a place for wayward souls to belong, even if for a little while. "Considering the places we've been to, I guess this place seems a little mundane in comparison. But that's not too bad of a thing."

"It's nice," Jill replied with conviction. "When all you get is the unexpected, something so calm and normal is a little unexpected, then. And that just makes it better, I think."

The drink was definitely messing up her word choice, but she got the message across.

"Hope no one's been giving you trouble." The momentary addition was said with the slightest of sly looks -- partly because Jill knew Tifa was more than capable of handling herself, partly because she could only imagine how it went down for someone who tried to bring trouble over the younger woman's threshold, and... partly because there was always that protective side of Jill, and she asked because she was genuinely curious. Even so, it was said lightly enough to infer that she wasn't trying to be nosy.

She makes a soft little sound, as if to disagree with the statement. Tifa agreed, make no mistake. But there was just one small little amendment that needed to be added. "Not to say that the bar life isn't without it's own surprises."

After all, the combination of less than upstanding individuals and inebriating drinks was always an interesting mix. And she'd had to break up a fight or two in her time, earning her a scratch or two for her troubles. More than she could count, there were incidences of unwanted attention and advances that came with the job of dealing with people who just wanted to forget their limitations.

"Just not as nightmare-ish." Place that next to the idea of being possessed by murderous ghosts, or being resurrected inside your own grave - having to dig yourself out of it - and it hardly compared. "Once you've faced up against the forces of Chaos, a few drunk pedestrians are hardly a problem."

"I can imagine," Jill agreed. Whatever the insanity that came with her career choice, she wouldn't doubt every other one out there. She'd seen enough of the spectrum in her years to know that bars, taverns, and any source of alcohol could and would attract all types. It probably took someone like Tifa to handle it.

"Amen to that," she added, briefly raising her drink in a toast. "And here's hoping no forces of Chaos find their way into your bar as some kind of ironic joke." Just in case, she rapped her knuckles briefly against the wooden bar with another smile. "Then again, as calm as it usually is here... maybe this is more of a break room than a crossroads. A little reward for our efforts everywhere else."

It was a nice thought, anyway. No one in charge that they knew of, just some odd little in-between place that, while uneventful, was arguably safe because of that very reason... with the exception of the types of people who could show up alongside them. Jill had had enough run-ins with Wesker and Sync, to name a couple, to get the idea that nowhere was really, absolutely safe anymore. Nothing short of finding her way home, anyway, and that obviously had its own dangers. Dangers, at least, that she knew how to handle.

There wasn't much thought behind it, really. As a young girl, her only dream had been to escape the limitations of small town life. Because she always dreamed for something more. Her life as a barmaid just simply came to be as a result of that. It was a means to an end, and a resource that was necessary at the time. Avalance needed a home base that was well hidden and easily accessible. And the job at the bar was an easy one to manage in between all the insanity that came with being part of a rebel group dead set on the cause. And despite all the wrong reasons that justified her claims, Tifa had few regrets.

"Well, whatever it is, I'm just glad trouble doesn't come knocking at my door." Well, not too much trouble, at least. Because no matter all the dangers and wars and fighting, this place, at least, was a safe haven. Even from the powers that seemed to guide their steps.

Wars and tournaments and experiments never came here to them. They were always taken there, in the middle of the night and at unawares, usually. And while she preferred for things like that to never happen at all, at least it was a sort of courtesy for them. "It'd be an ugly mess to clean up after, I'm sure."

Because there was no doubt that Tifa was a fighter, to the core.

Jill chuckled again, her humor coming much more easily and frequently after her drinks. "Well, if it ever does, you know my number." It sounded like a jest, but she meant it in earnest, and she trusted Tifa to know that, too. Sure enough, Jill had a habit of leaping into danger for new comrades and even strangers when the time called for it, but known, loyal allies -- friends -- were another thing entirely. They were the ones she'd throw everything else away for, no matter how set in her ways and her rules she was normally. Those bonds were what could make her act irrationally despite a life based and built around rationality.

"Then again, that kind of thing tends to hit everyone at once," she added, a little more softly. "I'm not sure if it's more comforting to know we're never alone in these things, or... just depressing. 'Misery loves company' is about right."

In turn, Tifa gave a soft chuckle of her own. "Yeah, well... it's not exactly misery, is it? Things could always be a lot worse."

Like brink of destruction, bad. For herself, the barmaid was sure she had been to that point in her life before. And through some miracle of circumstances, Tifa had managed to make it back - not without consequences or harsh sacrifices along the way, but after her journeys, she was certain that she would be able to survive most anything that The Void and Forces that Be decided to throw at them now.

"And how could it be misery if we always have something to fight for, and people who will always fight with you?" Finishing off her drink, she felt lighthearted and warm as the next words slipped past her lips. "There's a good few people who've lived on much less than that..."

Jill nodded solemnly at that first part -- things could always be a lot worse. She knew that. She'd been through Worse, and whenever things got terrible since then, she would remind herself of that now and again.

"That's true," she murmured, just as serious. "I've always had something to fight for, even if I've been away for so long." Her drink prompted her a little more: "Not... something anymore. Just... survival, I guess. It's usually someone these days."

She didn't regret that, either; whether it was a stranger or someone she loved, Jill was a protector through and through. She didn't complain, didn't doubt. She just acted.

"I guess I just... wish I could pick what I'm fighting for," she added. "I mean -- I choose to fight for other people, but... sometimes I have no choice, considering how we're thrown around. I think it'd just be nice to feel a little... I dunno, in-control again."

Tifa could certainly sympathize with that feeling. Ever since entering into this endless parade of worlds - battles - that weren't her own, there were times where it seemed that they were nothing more than pawns in a grand Game that no one could even begin to understand. And while their respective beliefs always placed focus on this omnipotent force or messiah guiding their steps through this life and these mysteriously new places, it was getting to be just too excessive. More times than she could count, it felt like it had been too much for Tifa.

But then, in the end, she had ended up surviving regardless.

"Maybe that's what this place is for." Sure, it wasn't exactly what Jill was asking for. Because they would always be thrown into a battle or situation that was far from being in their control. But in a place like this, between the fighting and the madness, it was as close to normal as they could ever hope to get. "To keep us from falling too deep into each crisis."

She can't speak much for Jill's circumstances, but for herself, it felt true. Each and every time it felt like Tifa was starting to tip over the edge of no return, it wouldn't be long before she found herself back here where things where safe; where the young girl had the space and time to find herself again, along with a few new memories to add to her growing collection.

"War doesn't exactly leave much room for control, even for those in charge." She adds in a scoff to go with her afterthought. "If there's any control to be had at all."

"Mm." It was a light acknowledgement, more of a maybe than agreement. True, this place was a refuge of sorts, a break from the madness and (usually) even a haven from the darker things and people of the universe, and Jill was grateful for that... but at the same time she couldn't help wondering why her own world couldn't serve that same purpose. Why not let her go home, her real home? God knew it had its own shadows of evil, that was a resident of any world, but it was still hers, hers to call home and protect.

That was probably what all of this boiled down to, she realized then. Not a lack of control, not a broken heart, just... homesickness. That was the best her mind could currently come up with, as influenced as it was.

Jill did hum thoughtfully, however, echoing one word in particular. "War, huh..." Her glass was empty again, but she didn't reach or motion for a refill this time. "Looking at it that way... I shouldn't complain. It could be a lot worse, couldn't it?"

She could be dead, for instance, or without any allies at all. As long as there was a life to live, Jill would keep pushing; that was simply who she was.

She nodded finally, as if coming to some inner conclusion.

"You're right. I think that I..." On second thought, thinking was getting harder to do. Jill rubbed at her forehead and grinned slightly. "Well. You've given me a lot to think about. Thanks, Tifa."

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[Closed] Sisters function as safety nets in a chaotic world

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