The Devil's Nest, Monday evening

[texted3times]

Eric ambled into the bar after a week down in Louisiana and gave Tiny a nod. "Did you go to Annie and Diego's wedding?" he asked.

Tiny snorted, then rumbled a reply.

"Well, she does love a frozen drink," Eric said. "I'm sure they'll use the blender you sent instead."

Tiny nodded, then fired up the blender behind the bar even though it was, in Eric's opinion, way past frozen drink season.

The Devil's Nest was open! Have a daiquiri.

Comments

[sword_chocobro]

"Okay, Tiny," Gladio implored, leaning against the bar with a hand out as if this would help his case, "but hear me out: Cup Noodle^TM daiquiri."

Look. The wedding was over and yet he was still stuck here. Just let him have this.

[texted3times]

"Counter argument," Eric drawled. "That's disgusting."

[sword_chocobro]

"Awww, come on," said Gladio, with honestly a bit more of a grin than he thought he could manage right now, "whatever happened to 'the customer is always right?'"

[texted3times]

"I think even Harry Selfridge would draw the line at iced cup o' noodle booze."

[sword_chocobro]

"Who's Harry Selfridge?" Gladio asked, because, hey, some concepts transcended specific dimensions in time and space.

[texted3times]

"The guy who said that," Eric said, grinning, "at least in this version of the world."

[sword_chocobro]

"Huh." Gladio grunted a bit thoughtfully at that, and now half wondering where it had originated back on Eos.

Too bad he couldn't just ask someone to find out, right?

Then a scarred brow lifted.

"He still alive?"

[texted3times]

Eric shook his head. "Nah, he's been gone for at least a century. His department store's still around, though."

[sword_chocobro]

"Then I say," said Gladio, with a grin that showed that he wasn't going to swayed away from this by the hypothetical opinions of some dead guy, "let him roll over in his grave. Maybe the exercise will be good for him."

[texted3times]

"I say that it's on your head when Tiny takes this idea too far and opens some sort of horrifying Cup Noodle shaved ice stand."

[sword_chocobro]

And now both brows were lifted.

"Don't threaten me with a good time. Even going into winter, that might make still being stuck here somewhat more bearable."

[texted3times]

"You're still stuck, huh?" Eric said. "Sorry."

[sword_chocobro]

"Still stuck," Gladio said, with a sigh that he failed to hold back, and a shake of his head. "And thanks. It was kind of a pipe dream, thinking it was just a thing for the wedding, but at the same time? With this place? I wouldn't be that surprised."

[texted3times]

"And how was the wedding?" Eric asked. "I would have gone but daylight and vampires don't mix."

[sword_chocobro]

"Definitely better than the last wedding I was supposed to," Gladio grunted faintly.

"Seriously, though," he amended, "it was really great. Annie was just over the moon the whole time, which is good. Really happy for them. And.." He rolled his eyes a little. "...I guess I am pretty glad I was able to be there for it after all."

[texted3times]

"You just also wanted to go home," Eric said.

[sword_chocobro]

"I just also wanted to go home," Gladio echoed in agreement. "It just doesn't make any sense, me being here. Prompto, I get. That makes sense...as much as anything around here makes sense, anyway.

"Although here," he added, lest anyone forget, "does have Cup Noodle^TM soda."

The new crux, apparently, of his whole existence on this island.

[texted3times]

"And we've ordered more," Eric said, pretending to be long-suffering.

[sword_chocobro]

Gladio's snort did a poor job of holding back his admittedly flattered grin.

Hey. It's not like anyone else was drinking those things. He'd already gotten as much confirmed by the rest of the staff here.

"Now what would Harry Selfridge," he asked, "have to say about that?"

[texted3times]

"It's worth keeping good customers happy?" Eric said with a grin.

[sword_chocobro]

"And a Cup Noodle^TM daiquiri would make me very happy right now," Gladio pointed out, appreciating how well this had gone around full circle.

[texted3times]

Eric sighed: completely theatrically because he didn't breathe. "Tiny, make this man happy."

[sword_chocobro]

"And that's the kind of service I expect from the Devil'a Nest," Gladio said with a laugh this time. "You're a good guy, Eric. Cheers."

[texted3times]

"I'm not upset that you're back," Eric said with an answering grin.

[sword_chocobro]

"That makes one of us, then," Gladio nodded, "but thanks."