Two G's in a Pod

Two G’s in a Pod

Chapter 4: Occupational Hazards

By: Stillmatic and Lucius Seneca

Will slammed the pickaxe into the rock in front of him. He had had boring jobs before, but nothing compared to the meaningless and mundane task at hand. His mind had nearly mutated into a numb state of robotic movements and repetition. Don was nearby, as usual. The two were usually together, most times calling themselves the "Dynamic Duo".

It was slightly narcissistic, but neither man gave much thought to the offhand name. There was a sharp crack as the large rock, some type of glossy mineral, broke from another strike of the pickaxe. Will watched as the two halves toppled apart, revealing the shine of unrefined wealth within. He shook his head in order to free himself from the seeping numbness.

Don looked around "Yo, nigga. What say we take a break?"

The younger man glanced up, "You got some reefer?"

"Hell yeah." was the reply.

Will nodded and looked around with his counterpart, seeing only the occasional worker, hammering at some far off collection of boulders and rocks. The two men casually walked away, resting their pickaxes on their shoulders, making it look as if they were off to work in a different section of the expansive mine. They followed the worn pathways, eventually coming to a small fork.

Lanterns lit the left passage way while the right remained dark and rather ominous. Will pointed at the darker one, years of clandestine smoking experience coming into play. Don nodded in agreement and they headed into the blackness, headlights bobbing in time with their wearers. Several large pipes, rusted and bolted to the stone wall, followed the trail deeper into the mine.

A set of crates stacked off to the side allowed the two friends to hide from any peering eyes. Don set his backpack down and pulled out a small plastic bag, revealing several joints within "Rolled them last night."

Will nodded agreeably, "Right on."

A lighter flashed in the darkness and soon each man was puffing away. Don, however, turned his nose up "Smells like some moldy ass eggs down here."

"Word. Let it be man." Will replied nonchalantly.

Don leaned casually against a nearby pipe, tossing the remains of the joint over his shoulder. There was a loud crack and the older man stumbled in surprise. The pipe had cracked and sagged slightly, now forming a large, jagged crack in the metal.

Will rubbed the back of his head "Shit, man. You broke that."

"Bah. Who's gonna know?" Don waved his hand dismissively.

Brown hair moving with his head, Will shrugged and pointed back towards the entrance "Autobots roll out."

The sound of a car came from Don's mouth and Will laughed openly at the noise. Neither seemed to notice the underlying hiss which came from behind them. Soon, they were back at their regular posts. Don's eyes were a faint pink and Will squinted heavily, mouth slightly open. The ringing of a bell startled the younger counterpart and he jumped.

"Jumping Jesus!"

"Break time, nigga."

Don was indeed right and soon there was a steady flow of workers shuffling out of the mine, pickaxes and bags slung over their shoulders as they chatted both wearily and happily. It was finally time for a rest from the work and afternoon light poured happily inwards from the mine entrance. Don and Will had awoken early, along with their fellow miners, and had gone to work despite their still-healing injuries.

Will was squinting at the bright sunlight, smiling dazedly as Don examined his fingernails again. As the two approached the cave entrance, Don cracked a joke and the duo began laughing. In fact, they were still laughing when they got the impression that a jetliner had struck them in the back. The two were flung forward like rag dolls, their equipment flying away.

A huge plume of flame and debris carried them forward, burning their clothing, singing their hair, and eventually depositing them, and many others, on the rocky hillside. Screams and cries for help filled the air as burnt and flaming wood rained down, perforating the thick, jet black column of smoke which snaked out of the mine.

Don was the first to move, gasping in pain as he crawled forward blindly, ears ringing, a small trickle of blood coursing from them. A charred pallet was resting heavily on his back and he struggled to focus his sight. He was laying lopsidedly on a small collection of rocks and patchy grass, approximately fifty or so feet from the destroyed mine.

Off to his right, Will was laying on his back, wiping his blackened face with an equally filthy hand. He too was bleeding and burnt, but there was no pain, primarily due to the fact that he was in shock. It took the younger man several minutes to register the screams and sirens which seemed to be muffled and dull.

He laid his head back "I think I’m deaf." His head lolled sideways "I gotta tell my mom. I gotta tell my mother."

Don grunted in pain as he turned and pushed the pallet off of himself, stumbling to his feet in the process. All around him, workers were lying strewn about on the ground, some unmoving, others slowly rising and coming to their senses. Don struggled over to Will, grabbing onto his younger counterpart who still seemed unable to comprehend the situation around him.

"Are you alright?" Don yelled, his ears still ringing.

Will looked about in surprise "What?"

The older man raised his voice louder "The mine fuckin' blew up!"

"Are people dead?" Will seemed shocked that such a thing could happen to him.

Don nodded slowly "I don’t know! But we need to help the niggas that aren't!"

Rubbing at a cut in his forehead, Will nodded and walked several feet, helping a diamond dog sit up shakily. Don was making his way towards the mine entrance, stumbling like a drunk as Will followed slowly, his singed hair bobbing as he stepped over debris. The day was only prone to worsen, and as Don tied his shirt around his face, followed by Will, a worker stumbled from the smoky abyss, promptly collapsing at Don's feet.

The two humans knelt next to the mare tiredly, weakly trying to get her to her feet. After a few minutes, she stood up and moved farther down before the two paused, ducking their heads and entering the destruction in front of them a second or so after. The smoke only seemed to make their injuries worse and Will was certain he had broken his left wrist as it seemed to throb and scream at the man, purple and swollen.

Thick, billowing clouds of smoke greeted the duo and they coughed in response to the filthy air, pulling their tattered and burnt shirts closer to their mouths and nostrils in a feeble attempt to protect their bodies from the smoke. Will dropped to his knees and stayed there for a full minute, head aching and hands laying limply on his thighs. He felt utterly exhausted, but as he watched Don's figure vanish deeper into the blackness, he crawled to his feet in resignation and followed.

It wasn't long before Don found the body of a fallen miner. He was a young stallion, coughing weakly against the smoke. The man grunted loudly and, with Will's sudden help, they were dragging the injured stallion to his safety just outside. Sirens were still screaming and ponies were crying, but Don seemed unmoved by the sheer terror around him and turned, going back into the mine. Will set the stallion down, unable to hold him up due to Don abruptly running back into the smoke.

Will lifted the shirt away from his mouth and spat, asthma getting worse by the minute "Oh man..."

His voice trailed off as he limped after Don, aiding him once again with a steady flow of injured and unconscious miners. They formed a sort of line, the older man helping Will as they discovered more and more fellow workers in need of assistance. Unbeknownst to the two humans, they were the object of attention now. Rescue workers looked on in awe as the two continued their stumbling dashes to and fro.

Suddenly, one miner, a grizzled stallion of light blue, stepped away from the gathered crowd and was next to the two men, helping them without saying a single word. Will could taste blood in his mouth at that point, having realized his throat had been rubbed raw from the smoke and asthma. Don wasn't much better off, his back burnt and clothing in rags, but the duo continued their work nonetheless.

And then the rescue workers were next to them, followed by the entire conscious portion of the miners as they continued deeper into the rubble. Chains were formed, handling those who were too injured to walk, and soon the entire mine, and the ponies left inside, were evacuated, strapped to stretchers and sent towards the hospital which would no doubt be overflowing.

Will climbed out of the smoky hell one last time and took a long look at the carts, ponies, and diamond dogs who were milling about, helping each other. The young man let out a long breath and promptly fell forward, unconscious before he hit the rocky ground. Don, who was coming out of the mine just in time to see his friend fall, clambered over to his side, attempting to help him up. But, just as it had claimed Will, Don felt the injuries and lack of adrenaline like a freight train and folded backwards, unconscious.

Will groaned, lifting a hand to his head as sunlight beamed through the cracks in the blinds of the window. His head pounded tirelessly from what had happened earlier yesterday, and the quite atmosphere gave him time to think. Slowly, the young man sat up, pain stabbing at him in the process. His back ached horribly, but the pain in his wrist had subsided to nothing, miraculously. A quick assumption led him to believe that the doctors fixed him up before he was able to awaken.

Looking to his left, he spotted Don, who was still asleep. Most damage on him seemed fairly superficial with the exception of a scar here or there. Will stood on his feet, stretching for a moment before nudging Don to wakefulness. The other man sat up jerkily, rubbing his eyes with his palms before running a hand through his hair.

"Damn... What the hell happened?" Don asked, somewhat confused as to why he was in a hospital.

Will looked around again, not seeing any other patients, "I don't know. I remember an explosion at the mine, but that's it."

"You think we got caught in it? Or did we just pass out?"

"I don't know about that either."

"Ugh," Don groaned. "Where the hell is the damn doctor around here?"

As if on cue, the same green unicorn entered the room to the far left, mumbling something under his breath before he arrived at the two, "What the hell are you two doing out of bed? Brainless idiots." He pulled the chart to his face and looked at the humans, "So, you think you two can just play hero and not get hurt, huh? Too bad about your dumbflanks getting sent back here again. Wish you'd either all just keel over or go somewhere else for this stuff."

Don rubbed his temples, "Yo man, do you ever shut the fuck up? Like, seriously? Get the fuck done, or get the fuck out."

The doctor snorted, "Whatever. You're both free to go. Sign out at the desk."

Both men shared a look before proceeding out of the room, following the unicorn until he passed by the front desk of the hospital. There was a serious emptiness around the building as Will tapped his hand on the desk, getting the attention of a nurse.

"Oh! You two are up already? Well, I shouldn't be all that surprised, Doctor Dismal has a knack for fixing folks up quick! You two really did us a favor yesterday, ya know. If it weren't for what you two did, we'd have lost some miners, and nopony wants that. Really, thank you both a bundle for helping out."

Don sighed, "Just doing our jobs. How much do we owe this place now?"

She waved a hoof dismissively, "After what you guys did? The miners pooled their pay for yesterday and covered for you. No debts left for either of you two fellas. Now, go on, I'm sure there'll be a lot of ponies happy to see you two out of bed. Shoo!"

The two made for the exit before sparing a glance back at the mare, who motioned her hoof forward. They exited the hospital to a brighter day than the last, with several ponies walking along the streets with the occasional dog. A bell rang far off, and both men looked to find the miners exiting from the nearby hill. The citizens of Somewhere smiled and seemed generally happy at the two, but they were still left in a mist about what actually happened. Mica, they assumed, would have the answers for them.

It wasn't long before miners were swarming into town, dirty and ready for a midday meal. But all of that stopped as they caught sight of the two humans, still aching painfully, and approached them. There must have been a little over seventy miners who were all pleased to see the duo alive and decently well. In fact, several thanked them personally, stating that they had really done something for the town and the ponies within.

It wasn't often that Will was congratulated, but he felt good knowing that he had saved lives without thinking twice. Don, who was in the middle of a hug from a mare, felt the exact same way. Despite being miles from home, missing and injured, they had large smiles plastered over their bruised and cut faces, happy to be among strangers for the first time in their lives.

The sight of Mica, her coat shimmering slightly in the afternoon light as she broke through the crowd, caught both men’s attention and they made their way towards her, shaking hooves, slapping paws, and generally interacting with the mass of ponies and dogs around them. It took a few minutes, but eventually the crowd dissipated, allowing the two men to finally reach Mica. She had a sloppy, almost rueful grin on her face as she wrapped her friends in a shared hug, one arm for each as she pulled them together while standing.

She was the first to speak "I don't think I can ever thank you guys enough! But THANK YOU!"

Don waved his hand "All in a day’s work. I am the supreme gangster of all time, after all."

There was a snicker from Will "Supreme bullshitter more like." He looked over at Mica "In all seriousness, we were glad to help. Someone had to do something."

Mica nodded agreeably "Uh huh. You were pretty close to dying when you got in to see the doctor though. He said your as-something was the worst he had ever seen."

"Asthma. Well, that shit only gets worse when I’m breathing in smoke and running around." Will replied sullenly.

Don rubbed a small cut on his temple "Word. Anyway, that doctor's assistant or whatever said that we don't owe him shit. So what now?"

"Well since you guys saved the day, I made the arrangements for you two to have some better paying jobs, since you know, you're gonna be here until the snows melt and the passes open!" Mica said with a coy smile.

Will let a look of appreciation cross his face "What kinda jobs?"

"Nigga, please. We're probably the mayors! Or at least I am, you can be my assistant." Don said breezily.

"Why don't you fuck off and die?" Will retorted jokingly.

Mica jumped in at that point "Listen!" She pointed at Will "You'll be running the general store, like cashier and stocking shelves and stuff."

The younger man nodded in acceptance as Mica moved onto Don "And you'll be a bartender at the local bar, seeing as though I couldn't really find anything else around here." She noticed his expectant look, "Ugh, yes, the pay is better than a miner, and there're the tips to go with it." The mare grinned, "Just make sure you hook me up with a drink every now and then, alright?"

Don smirked, "Yeah, sure. So, what now?"

Mica glanced at the sun for a moment, "Well, I'm not all that sure. It's still a bit past noon, and that means there's maybe six or seven hours left. You guys should probably keep it easy for a while. Come on," she motioned her hoof to the center of town, "let's go grab your last pay."

"Oh-ho-ho, lookie what we have here... The dogs who saved the day yesterday."

Lapis was leaning on a hoof, smirking as the two humans and single unicorn walked into the building. The air was slightly stuffy, but no one bothered complaining as the blue mare reached down and threw two sacks of bits on the front desk. They jingled a universal song that usually led to some sort of happiness or fun. Both Don and Will grabbed their respective bags and stuffed them into their pockets. The gruff pony shook her head, chuckling at the pair.

"You two sure are odd, ya know that? Comin' outta nowhere one day, then savin' miners the next!" Lapis shrugged, "Ah, who cares. Three hundred bits for the both of you. Shame you aren't going to be workin' 'round the mine anymore."

Will gave a look to his comrade, "A real shame."

"For real." Don felt some pangs of hunger, "Wanna grab some food?" Will nodded, "Ight, let's find some shit to eat."

They left, bidding farewell to Lapis as she returned to her work. The day seemed to speed by fast, both men going about it as what seemed to be normal. Nothing of true significance happened and they each went back to their quarters for the last time to sleep the night away. Tomorrow, however, would bring much greater prospects.

The Somewhere General Store was located just off the main street, that which was called "Miners Alley" by the local populace. Miners Alley itself diverged into several different, small roads that led off to housing or smaller, less known stores. The general store seemed to fit in quite well next to a modest hair salon run by an easygoing stallion named Peco, and a tailor. Each of the establishments was homey and had a relax atmosphere, allowing customers to shop in peace.

However, the general store seemed less peaceful than expected, probably due to the yelling coming from inside. Will was standing behind the counter, gesturing at the racks and shelves behind a stallion who was standing aimlessly in the middle of the store, not grasping the concept being hurled at him.

Will raised his voice for what seemed like the fiftieth time "How many times? We DON'T have tube socks! Do you understand that this store, the one you are currently standing like a fool in, does not have the product you require?"

The stallion tilted his head "Are you sure? I thought I saw some here yesterday."

"I was here yesterday! I checked the stocks!" Will sighed and buried his head in his hands "Listen, man. There's a tailors next door! Ask there! They probably have some fucking tube socks!"

Apparently the suggestion was enough for the stallion and he trotted out, leaving Will to sit back in his chair. He shook his head at the stupidity and flicked a magazine open, this one about different types of trees and their effect on the soil and its fertility. It was a sad, sad day for Will as he realized that he had stooped to reading material this low. He shook his head again and checked the analogue clock above the front door.

His shift would be over in five minutes and then he would head down to the bar where Don was no doubt working the night shift. Will's shift usually ended as Don was just beginning his, allowing the two friends some time to talk and drink. Luckily, in Somewhere at least, there was no legal drinking age, apart from fillies of course. The clicking of hooves informed the arrival of the store’s owner, one Mr. Abernathy, an elderly diamond dog who was more concerned about his never ending game of mahjong than the store itself.

The greying diamond dog hobbled from the back of the store which was, in reality, a small break room and a loading bay, and leaned on his cane as he spoke to Will, "Jamie? Is everything alright? I thought I heard some shouting."

Will fought the urge to breakdown into a sobbing heap. Mr. Abernathy had convinced himself that Will was actually his grandson, Jamie, who hadn't been seen around the town in over fifteen years, leaving his grandfather to decay by himself. Will, who had given up on trying to convince the senior that he wasn't his grandson, put on a smile and stood up politely.

"It was just some young rascals running about outside, Mr. Abernathy. Nothing to worry about."

Mr. Abernathy smiled contently, his bushy eyebrows sheltering the grey irises "Kids these days. Say, do you remember when we went fishing with your cousin down on Black Water Lake?" The cane tapped expressively on the floorboards "How much do you reckon that catfish weighed?"

Will dropped his head for a second before looking back up "A good thirty pounds at least."

"That was a good day."

And then the elderly canine hobbled back into his mahjong den, leaving Will to close up the store. Soon, the lone human was heading down the streets towards Don's place of work, the sun falling behind him.

"You got a Ruby Claim on you by any chance?"

Don stood up from his kneeling position and pulled out several bottles, "I can make one. You paying now or later?"

"Later," a brown pegasus replied.

The human narrowed his eyes, "I expect your tab to be completely wiped by tonight. Records say you've been skipping on tab for a bit."

"Don't worry," he tossed a cloth sack of golden bits onto the table, "I got enough for myself and all the other drinks I got."

"So why not pay it now?"

"In the beginning of the night? Are you crazy? What do I look like, like I'm Prench?"

Don rolled his eyes, "Heavens no."

The stallion grunted in amusement and Don proceeded to make the alcoholic beverage as requested. In reality, most of the drinks were fairly simple and required basic math skills to make. There were, however, some that became complex quickly, testing what meager bartending skills he had in only a day. His lie of how much experience he had secured him a job, but no one was complaining yet, so he simply assumed he was at least doing something right. Don finished the red beverage and slid it forward on a coaster. The stallion took a sip and nodded, trotting off with it in hand towards his friends.

The bar, unlike much of the town, was fairly modern. Speakers all around the room would be booming music soon, and cages would eventually hold dancers with neon glowsticks around their necks. It was a serious surprise to the man when he figured out that the establishment was the way it was. The patrons were of all sorts and despite it being far too early for anything serious, the nightlife seemed quite progressive in comparison to every other business in the town of Somewhere. He shuddered, recalling when a stallion attempted to hit on him earlier.

"Are you sleeping on the job or something, you joke?"

Don turned his head to his boss, who demanded to be addressed as Madame Lemon Dropatini. As her named implied, she was bright yellow Earth mare, coupled with an orange, curly and well-kept mane. Her attitude towards her employees was less than fantastic, but her ability as both owner and manager kept all of the business focused on her enterprise, making her a respectable member of the town. Don, however, was caught in the way of all her negative comments. He mostly ignored her unless she gave a specific order that needed fulfilling.

"Nah, I was calculating the exchange rate from Stalliongrad vodka per ounce to here, with tax included."

She gave him a stern look before begrudgingly nodding, "Fine, but no lollygagging. I'm not about to let some fresh meat ruin my club by being inadequate."

The human nodded his head and turned back to his duties, making drinks and using a chart as a guide. He checked the clock and saw that it was about to hit ten, usually the time when most of the clubbers would arrive until the early hours of the morning. A familiar face walked through the door as he bent down to pick up several mugs to clean. There was a tapping on the bar as he stood up again, using a rag to wipe the mugs dry.

Don smirked at Will, "Whatcha need, stalker? I got all the shit you're ever going to need."

Will took a seat on one of the stools and leaned forward inconspicuously "I was wondering," he paused to look needlessly over his shoulder "If you had some high class herb that'll get me higher than high."

Don looked over both his shoulders slowly before leaning in, "I got some stuff, if you got the bits. The local stuff is major suckage, but I got this guy who's willing to export for the right price."

There was a solemn and understanding nod from Will "I got the bits. It's just, you know, I’ve been feeling some cosmic loneliness lately."

Don put down the glass and leaned on his fist, "Yeah, I'm not really in tune with it ever since- Fuck, I don’t even know when! But we can solve that problem with a little help from some chems." He quickly looked both ways, "I got an idea, wanna hear?"

"My ears are more open than Madame Lemon's legs. Lay it on me, bro." Will replied.

"I was thinking about that ant and moth army thing, remember that? Well, what if we made spiders? Spiders that made piff instead of silk that feed on flies full of THC?"

Will ran finger down his chin "The ant and moth army never worked out. Damn moths were too proud in my opinion, but spiders? We need a controlled environment and a gene-splicing laboratory for sure."

"I'll make some calls, if I ever even get a reception with this damn thing." Don banged his Blackberry against the table once, "Still has a full charge, somehow. God knows why, but who the hell cares. So how was work?"

"Could have been better. These horses always want tube socks! I'm not sure if it's some subtle innuendo or what, but I’m sick of them asking." Will scratched at his arm "And then there's Mr. Abernathy. Enough about me though, how are things on your end?"

Don stuck his hands in his pockets and shrugged, "The Madame's on my ass every half hour and some of the guys and gals here seem to find me exotic. Same thing with your probably. Haven't heard anything about tube socks though." He seemed to look off to someplace, "Just... other things that they offer..." He shook his head, "Anyway, want a drink?"

Will nodded, "Just give me whatever. You know I smoke more than drink, right?

"Yeah, but lemme give you the 'Madame Speciale'. Tangy."

The older man grabbed a martini glass and began to mix together liquids until it reached a lemony-orange color. He pushed it towards Will on a coaster and went back to drying glasses, watching expectantly.

Will swirled the beverage around in its glass before taking an experimental sip. A look of appeasement reach his face and he nodded, taking another sip "Not bad, Don, not bad at all." Will paused in his drinking "Hey, what'd you do with the backpack? Don't want to lose any of that stuff."

Don kicked the bag in question from behind the counter, "Got it right here. Why? What's up?"

"Nothing. Just makin' sure." He set the glass down "I wonder what my family is up to."

"Probably calling the Mounties to look for you or some shit."  Don sighed as a mare came trotting up to them.

"Hi! Can I get a Pyrite Dream?" The teal pony asked in a cheery tone.

"Sure."

Don grabbed the necessary ingredients and a tall, thin glass. He threw some cubes of ice that held minerals that glowed a very faint, golden color. Some alcohol was promptly poured in along with mango juice with a few squirts of lemon for kick. He stirred the drink until it reached equilibrium and handed it to the mare, who placed several bits on the counter. She took a sip and gave a wide smile before trotting away.

Don turned back to Will, "I don't even know what any of these drink names are, I just throw shit together and they like it."

Will guffawed "Born to be a bartender, nigga."

Don opened his mouth to speak before a stallion trotted up to the two, looking at the older in specific, "Hello, would you mind if I ask a question?"

Sighing once again, Don looked to Will and refilled his drink, "You go and socialize or something, I still gotta work and shit."

Will shrugged and moved off the stool, still in view as he towered over all the other clubbers. The stallion cleared his throat, making Don turn his attention back to the patron. Now looking at him, he finally saw the Earth pony's appearance. He was a royal blue in color, with a lighter gray for a mane that was partially covered by a top hat. A pair of elegant glasses were on his face as he smiled at the man, a dark pea coat covering most of his body.

"What can I get for ya?" Don asked.

"Well, I was more interested in information, specifically where you two are from." He thought for a moment, "But I suppose that's too forward. How long have you been living in Somewhere?"

Don was slightly annoyed by the stallion but leaned forward regardless, cupping his hands coolly, "Bro, you're not asking the right questions. You should ask how Don the barman, Don the hookah man, Don the man who partied with all sorts of friends in all sorts of places, ended up in Somewhere."

"Interesting..." The stallion extended his hoof, "Sir Silver Tongue, Director of Canterlot Royal Museum of Antiquities."

The human shook his hoof, and rolled his eyes. This was not how he wanted to spend his shift.

As Don was conversing with the corporate stiff, Will was grinding against a mare on the dance floor, not realizing how intoxicated he was. He was enjoying himself quite thoroughly as the mare flipped her mane back and forth. To Will it smelt like cherry blossoms, but he paid it little mind and continued with his grooving, not noticing an inebriated couple watching him from across the dance floor.

It took a few minutes, but eventually the stallion, a younger one of bluish-white, approached him, stumbling slightly, followed by his girlfriend or wife. It took a bit of prodding to gain the human's attention and soon enough Will was looking down at the stallion in front of him.

"Hey, bro. You need something?"

The stallion nodded drunkenly in the positive, smiling in a seductive manner, "Me and my wife jut made a bet about who could get you into bed faster, and I don't plan on losing."

Will narrowed his eyes angrily "Get out of here, stalker."

Whether or not the stallion was merely oversensitive or just too drunk to hold back the mass of emotions remained unseen as he ran off, blubbering like a child. His wife, a mare of charcoal black, shook her head at Will.

"You horrible monster!"

The man called out after her as she chased the crying stallion down "Peace out, bro! Wish we could have rolled a joint together!"

Don shook his head from the bar counter, “Only one drink and he’s already up on some bitch.”

He clicked his tongue and continued to serve drinks well into both the night and the morning. Things were, for once, looking up for the two as they maintained their new jobs.