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Post by skyeknight on Oct 30, 2016 1:22:36 GMT
People were getting used to Axel serving at the bar. They also liked that Axel was a better bartender than the last guy - some schmuck named Joe who could tell red wine from white or beer from ale. Sad really but it meant Axel had low standards to step over in order to impress his new patrons.
He had it pretty easy at the new job. No one pushed his temper. Yet. And he was still going strong on his fire free streak, though like someone who quit smoking, the craving to start a fire was strong for the demon. This was probably the worst place for him to work, but money was money. He shook the thought aside as someone new say down at the bar top.
"What can I get you?" Axel asked.
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Post by Zuyuri on Oct 30, 2016 1:57:51 GMT
Much to Shadow's relief, the bartender who came over was not Joe. Last time he was in the Bourbon, he had received awful service. It may have been from not being recognized. But, to Shadow's quasi-relief, red and black peach fuzz was appearing on his underarms and his skates were able to cart him around now.
He nodded to the bartender, "Black Russian," It was a strong deviation from his usual Chaos blast, but he was enjoying the taste too well to complain.
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Post by skyeknight on Oct 30, 2016 2:09:28 GMT
"Sure thing." Axel said.
With a flourish of the bottles he grandly (and more importantly correctly) mixed the drink before setting it in front of the newest patron. Axel lingered nearby to see if the man would approve or if he was another one of 'Joe's loyal fans'. Those people could see themselves to the door for all he cared. As long as no one went picking a fight with him, all was good.
"So how is it?"
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Post by Zuyuri on Oct 30, 2016 4:29:13 GMT
The bartender was off in a flash. All Shadiw saw was his wild name of red hair bobbing as he worked like a Teppan chef. Joe was a good mixer, but almost too fast, often confusing liquors and making a wrong flavor profile.
The fiery tender returned with the brown velvet drink. Shadow nodded and sipped. Coffee and alcohol waltzed on his tongue - exactly how a Black Russian should taste,
"mpressive. You got the balance of flavors just right."
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Post by skyeknight on Oct 30, 2016 22:06:07 GMT
"Damn right," Axel replied.
He was obviously pleased with himself. He liked knowing how much better he was than the man he replaced. It was a demon complex. He liked being superior. He grinned. The man was a little unusual compared to his normal patrons. But then again, Anna had been a bit different too. He was in a chatty mood. He had a decent day so far. There wasn't any harm. Besides, a Black Russian wasn't a usual drink. Hard core. For the people who could actually handle their drink.
"So, what brings you in?" he asked.
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Post by Zuyuri on Oct 31, 2016 17:15:56 GMT
Shadow set the Black Russian diwn, the ice rattling in the glass. Now that he saw signs of his regular body returning, a small part of him was mourning. He had gotten a taste of the human world and part of him enjoyed it - a 10% enjoyment. Had he still has his powers, he'd be more enthused. He was getting his chaos back, but at the cost of being the same species as his partner...wait, why was he caring about this now? He made a discontented noise to shake the thought away.
"Well, just getting one last non pumpkin flavor in my mouth before life returns to normal. You get sick of nutmeg when your closest friend makes you sample all the fall flavors."
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Post by skyeknight on Oct 31, 2016 18:00:22 GMT
"Tell me about it. After October I'm going to have a hard time getting rid of the pumpkin vodka the last guy over ordered," Axel complained.
Sure there would be a few sentimental drinkers who just enjoyed the pumpkin taste, but as it grew closer to December, people were going to want peppermint, eggnog and candy canes. Tis the season, he supposed. He might have to suggest it to a few drinkers who were too far gone to notice the taste anyways. The preppy little teeny boppers who came in dressed like the blizzard of '67 was on them. The ones who acted like low 60s was the coldest thing in the world. Axel knew cold. He spent time in colder places, with snow. But pumpkin season would die out. Hard. He was going to have to move product and fast.
"At least I don't have to mix a lot with them though." he admitted.
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Post by Zuyuri on Nov 1, 2016 21:31:26 GMT
The sound of pumpkin and vodka together id not sound right at all. If anyone wanted a fall drink, cider was the way to go. It had the fruit taste and mull-y flavor of pumpkin spice in a way. The bartender did have a point, too; mixing pumpkin vodka with anything was a challenge. Shadow just sucked his Black Russian slowly with a nod.
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Post by skyeknight on Nov 1, 2016 22:18:57 GMT
"So a pumpkin fanatic friend?" Axel asked. "That's rough."
He was just trying to strike a friendly conversion but the other man kept his cards close and his lips tight. The man also didn't seem like the talkative type but the fire demon figured it was worth a try. Axel was the sort who acted first, thought later. He probably had absolutely nothing in common with his sullen patron. But a lot could be said by the man's appearance. He looked haggard, unshaven and not because he woke up late and forgot to shave. There was no wedding band on his finger so he was single, probably with no one waiting for him so he could drink as much as he liked. The guy could handle his drinks, probably considering how he ordered something 'hard' as a starter.
"Will they stop by this evening?"
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Post by Zuyuri on Nov 1, 2016 22:40:57 GMT
"It's not her fault. Her family runs Nevermore. You know, that cafe in Riverfront. By some unwritten law, every coffee shop needs some kind of fall flavor once October. Even she;s getting tired of it."
Defending Sunshine had become second nature to Shadow. The redheaded bartender wasn't hurting her, per se, but to say she was a fanatic was an understatement. True, she could be enthused about pumpkin rolls one day, the be complaining by how long they are the get right a few weeks later. The pros and cons of being one in the food business perhaps. Maybe the bartender had a similar opinion about mixing a certain drink.
"As for whether or not she'll stop by, I don't know. Sunshine's always found some ways to make herself busy."
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Post by skyeknight on Nov 2, 2016 0:16:13 GMT
"Her? A lady friend then?" Axel grinned.
It was always interesting to see people's reactions to a question like that. There was always such a range in reactions to such an innocent question. Some people insisted that the 'lady friends' were just friends. Some tried to brag and insist there was something going on when it was so obvious there wasn't. Others laughed it off, saying it was a friend or a family member. Axel wondered what category that this guy would fall under. The demon gave him a considering look. He shrugged before picking up a rag to clean a mug.
"It's a shame. Guess you'll just have to suffer my company then."
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Post by Zuyuri on Nov 2, 2016 17:22:00 GMT
"...You could say that."
Try only close friend. Yes, he saw Ralph as a friend, Jim and Dimitri as friends, and even was growing to find Yang as a friend. But nobody was as close to Shadow as Sunshine was. To think they had started out in such a crappy situation.
"Just so long as you don't rub me the wrong way, which you haven't, your company's welcome," the comment was indifferenf but inviting at the same time
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Post by skyeknight on Nov 2, 2016 18:23:02 GMT
"So... you like her," Axel pointed out.
Tragic. The guy who fell in love with his best female friend who was probably too afraid to tell her because it would change things. Heck the worst she could do was say no, stop being his friend and never see him again. Axel dealt with a lot of people who were rejected like that. Honestly, he figured if the chick left the guy, she wasn't worth chasing anyways because if she was really his friend, she wouldn't let a crush stop a good friendship. Then again, Axel didn't have many friends so he didn't tend to watch his mouth anyways. Welcome to the stranger's conversation or not, he worked the bar, so if the stranger didn't like it, he could leave in Axel's opinion.
"If you want something, don't wait, act. One of life's little rules. Got it memorized?"
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Post by Zuyuri on Nov 3, 2016 0:35:58 GMT
Shadow's head shot up like someone just threatened to shoot him in between the eyes. The implication of the word 'like' the bartender gave him something to think about. Did he like Sunshine that way? Yes, he had a major soft spot for her, but that was because of going through so much crap and all the missions they had been on together. He glanced down at the peach fuz, a somber reminder that he wasn't the human who was sitting at the bar.
"Yeah, but, well, it wouldn't work. I'm...not exactly human like she is. The last thing I would want is to get locked up for bestiality."
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Post by skyeknight on Nov 3, 2016 13:40:44 GMT
"Bestiality?" Axel asked. "I think I'm missing something here."
So his apparently 'human' patron was not human. That's fine. Axel was Other too. The bar was half full of them at this point in the night, more filled in later on because some Others were purely nocturnal. Heck, he almost preferred serving Others because at least they didn't openly gawk once they figured out Axel wasn't human. It wasn't any of Axel's business what this guy was. Or what his crush was for that matter. He was just supposed to serve drinks and be done with it. Axel just happened to be a bit chatty, that was all. The guy wasn't drunk. He probably wasn't looking for advice either. Axel figured if he at least talked to a few of these people while they drank, it might prevent bad decisions, or encourage them into good ones. This guy had no confidence in furthering a relationship. Axel had confidence to spare.
"Listen, whatever it is that's holding you back, it's stupid. You're in the city with the highest population of Others in the world." he pointed out. "If anyone's going to judge you for that then there's something wrong here."
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