ziggy:

where: four leaf, 7pm on a wednesday

Sat in a booth with a half-drained beer, Buddy does his best to mentally prepare for whatever possible emotions might be evoked from sitting across his ex voluntarily for the first time in months. The beer mat in his hand is stood on it's edge in his grip, tapping it absently against the surface of the table as he tries his best to not drink the rest of his drink in haste.

where: paxton's, thursday, 8pm

After dillying until he couldn't justify dallying any further, Ziggy accepts whatever fate awaits him on the other side of Paxton's door and the conversation he's been steadily dreading the closer the day drew to it.

For someone who hated being at loggerheads with his friends, he found himself continually at odds with at least one of them at almost all times which was making it increasingly difficult to not acknowledge that he may haven been the problem as the common denominator.

He forgoes any whimsical rhythmic knocks so it didn't seem like he was approaching the situation lightly, instead he taps the middle knuckle of his index and middle finger against the door and takes a step back.

where: sharky's

"I've no idea who you are but I'm loving the vibes. Show off those arms, King."

Paxton's costume looked like it was less restricting than his own but it was early enough in the night that that hadn't started to bother him too much yet. Ziggy believes he's the right amount of tipsy for a conversation he's dreading -- well-oiled enough to be brave enough to have it but not too many drinks passed the point where he wouldn't try to keep it on the rails should it go off them.

He tries his best not to look apprehensive, distracting himself for a moment by fixing his wig and trying to sound casual in his question.

where: bonfire bash

"Would you believe me if I told you I downsized this from a carry on suitcase before my darling Cherry picked me up?" Ziggy says to his co-worker as he rummages around the well-stuffed tote bag of trinkets from his past relationships that he deemed destined for the flames.

"Marie Kondo would have hated me. Anything that sparked even a sliver of joy was allowed to live another day. I had to be considerate and only bring the most evil of objects."

When his hand wrapped around the custom skinned PS5 controller he had gotten Warner for his birthday when they had been together, he didn't hesitate to toss it into the bonfire.

where: pax's place, for his birthday house party

Drink in hand and with a sway about him that made it suspect that it was far from his first drink of the night, Ziggy's other hand land's on the birthday boy's shoulder to get his attention, bleary-eyed but happy to be there as he speaks.

"Man, do you know how much I love you?" He asks, looking at him over his thick-rimmed black glasses that he had donned for his costume. His magnifying glass had already been stolen, and he felt oddly warm from the waist up in his orange turtle neck but cold from the waist down in his red skirt.

where: golden lounge

"Just so we're clear," Reggie interrupts, unable to hold his question for a window where Paxton wasn't explaining the birthday plans he was trying to set in motion for Leo's February birthday, "He has absolutely no idea about this, right? Just so people know not to let anything slip."