"Whiskey."

Upon being given the glass of relief, Felix immediately brought it to his lips, taking a heavy sip. The image itself was a stark contrast to his high school self. Before, even the scent of alcohol would send him vomiting. Now? It'd take a few glasses at least to see some results.

The sly smirk was met with a look of cynicism. If there was one thing Felix was certain about: Mars hadn't grown out of bullshitting people. Still, it was hard to deny the small lick of warmth that came with talking to an old friend. Shoulders relaxing, a soft puff of air shot from the man's nostrils, and his lip twitched into a half-smile. "Keep complimenting me and I'll take this as a date."

Martín del Mar

The half-smile grew at the other's words, curving the other side of his lip a touch upward. So this was what his victims went through, huh? No wonder they all fell for this bastard.

"Neither is entertaining it."

His tone was light - teasing, almost. Bringing his glass to his lips, Felix drew a slow sip of the sharp liquid before glancing back at the admin.

For a moment, the image of his former friend flashed in his mind. It was growing increasingly hard to believe that this was the same dumbass flirt he used to play football with years ago. Martín del Mar was, of course, the exact same, but still.

"I'll keep quiet if you play me Wonderwall, though."

Martín del Mar

Felix chuckled in response. He would never admit it, but it felt nice to cut loose for once and enjoy an old friend's company. Unfortunately, he was well aware of how rare and fleeting these moments were. It's not like he had much time for them anyways - not with the piling level of work back at ANVIL HQ. ANVIL's cooperation with Rocket only further added to his workload.

His eyes dulled at Mars' question. These hidden meaning bullshit questions were always a drag to answer. Still, he relented to the other's interrogation efforts. "It's what I expected it to be." A shrug came with Felix's response. Whether he was referring to the bar, the mission, Sootopolis, or Team Rocket - his answer wouldn't change. None offered any surprises or merit to look forward to, and so, they were effectively the same.

Martín del Mar

Sinnoh.

Their home: a place they should be yearning to return to; a place that should spark fond memories worth smiling at. But instead, its sound only trudged up a bitter taste in his mouth. It always reminded him how much he missed the carefree days they had spent together-- back when football and crushes were their biggest concern. But, even those days were growing overshadowed by the region's current state of affairs.

Felix's motioned to the bartender for another glass, noting the disappointing state his current glass was in. "It's..." How should he describe it? How does he even feel towards the company? Towards Belial Stone ? Carved lips deepened into a contemplative frown -- he always hated this. Putting feelings into words...it felt beyond his reach. "like anywhere else. Pay is good, though."

Relief returned to his glass in time for Felix to steal another sip. One last gulp to shoo away needless thoughts. "But work is work."

Martín del Mar

His glass went back down along with his emotions. No amount of want, or desire, could bring them back to those memories they shared. Mars' question only reaffirmed this fact of nature. Hell, even celebratory shared drinks held business undertones now. Felix couldn't blame him for asking the question, though. Ever since their eyes first met, the two held the same level of distrust in one another. The only difference was that his was bundled in a blanket of despondency.

The ANVIL employee met the admin's gaze with the same pair of steady eyes he has always held. "Them." Cold, distant, he gave an answer without hesitance. His right hand then snaked back around his glass and lifted it high enough to offer Mars a small cheer. "As it stands, they've done more for me than Rocket. "

Martín del Mar

The admin's assertions were, more or less, on the nose. While they were some fray strings that kept him from completely voiding out all emotions from the equation, for the most part, he saw the two organizations through the same practical lanes. The only difference between them? How much they've contributed to his current life.

From the moment Mars started to when he finished, their locked eye contact never broke. Despite how to misplace this advice might've been, Felix felt obligated to at least listen to its entirety without interruptions or objections. It was the least he could do, considering their circumstances.

"You worry too much," He finally breathed out, "...I don't have the luxury of being reckless."

Thankfully, none of this mattered right now. ANVIL and Rocket were in cooperation with one another, and there weren't any indications that their partnership would fall anytime soon. There was still time to think, see things play out, and pick sides.

Martín del Mar

Words are flimsy, mistakable things. Compared to the hard truths of action, they are ultimately worthless in the grand scheme if it all. That's why, no matter how reliable the admin sounded, Felix could only silently raise his glass, clinging its outer rim against his.

Because, at the end of the day, his situation wasn't too far from Mars': stuck paying the cost for the decisions they've made a long, long time ago. Unfortunately, escaping said consequences was much easier said than done.

But there was no turning back the clock. So, with a matching smirk, Felix downed the rest of his drink before offering one last joke to ease the mood. "If we keep talking about work, I'm going to need a few more of these."

Martín del Mar