Maurice's expression blanked like a broken window.

"You know what? Nevermind. Thanks for leadin' a horse to water."

He slumped against the tree and drained the bottle in one desperate gulp before prying open the other one. The ex-pire was good and quiet after that for a good while--almost long enough to suggest that he was done with this interaction. But finally he piped up again, not drunk but buzzed enough to stop worrying for the moment. He was alive. His soul, as far as he knew, was whole again. And, on top of that, he'd made a buddy!

"What should I do...?"