#ttc2

Chapter Two: Shots

CW: Mature references/language, vulgarity

Ferusian Law, First Sequence, Article Two: Protection of Life

Ferusian citizens are entitled to safe and stable living. The following shall be provided, at no cost, for all: clothing not exceeding a $25 production cost, housing not exceeding $10,000 in value, food produced locally (this includes, but is not limited to, vegetables, fruit, and locally-raised meat), and clean drinking water.

By law, all places of business which offer clothing must include a zone designated as "Necessity", which will be reserved exclusively for clothing below $25 production cost. By law, all real estate agencies must maintain an accurate ledger of properties below $10,000 in value as freely available homes. By law all places of business which offer food must provide all locally grown fruits, vegetables, and meats free of cost. By law, clean drinking water is to be given free of cost.

Failure to adhere to this law is an act of treason.

Sitting at the bar, I waited for Merissa, the bartender, to come over for my order. She and I knew each other pretty well, I’d performed here plenty of times now and she was well aware of my ritual. “The usual?” She asked with a smile. Merissa was a hyena, stocky and short. She was a little on the plump side, and it only added to the appeal she held. Plenty of guys in my genus went for the fit, strong women. But I’d always been drawn to the slimmer, and the thicker, bodies. Merissa fit the latter, all curves, and no edge, with a soft sort of inherent beauty.

I nodded, flashing her a smile and starting to speak, only to be cut off by her lifting a finger and turning her back to me to reach for the drinks she knew I would order.

“I know what you want, and no, I’m not lifting my shirt.” She chortled, turning to face me as she mixed the drinks together. I shook my head with a grin.

“I wasn’t gonna ask you to. Gods, that was one time, and I was drunk off my ass, are you ever gonna let me live it down?” I replied, only a little indignantly. She laughed at me and poured my drink into the glass in front of me, leaning over the counter and raising an eyebrow.

“One shot of Mixed Memories, enjoy. And for the record, no, I will not let you live it down.” She scoffed. “Young, hotshot wolf comes in here, plays a few songs, gets blackout drunk and asks the bartender to flash her tits? Hun, you’re a hypothetical on the application warnings.” She was being blunt, but she had a cocky grin that told me she was enjoying every second of teasing me.

I rolled my eyes and took my glass, downing the drink and placing the shot glass on the counter. The taste of whiskey, tequila, vodka, and rum ran down my throat in burning bliss. I smiled, memories of my first gig flashing through my mind. The drinks that made up my ritual were the same ones my first real fans had chosen to toast with that night, and I'd made it habit to have a shot with all of them after every show. Merissa had named it Mixed Memories when she'd learned the history of the drink. As fitting a name as any.

“I bet I am.” I said, remarking on her comments about my past behavior. I turned on my seat, looking towards the dance hall. I could see into it, see the writhing crowd dancing to the beat of a new song, a new artist, but I couldn’t see David in particular.

“Your boyfriend in there?” I heard Merissa tease, and I turned to face her again.

“You know he’s not my boyfriend.” I said plainly, eliciting a laugh from the older hyena. She stood upright and gave me a smug look.

“He? You got someone in particular in mind?” She chortled. I felt my face warm up a little and I tried to laugh it off.

“David’s in there, it’s his birthday. I figured you knew; I did make a whole speech about it during my set.” I replied, relaxing against the counter. Merissa held up a finger and stepped away to help another customer who sat at the bar a few feet away. I waited for her to finish with him and make her way back to me.

“I didn’t realize it was the kid’s birthday. How old is he?” She asked, casually pouring me a glass of water.

“The big one too. He’s twenty-one.” I took the glass gratefully, nodding in thanks as I drank from it. She looked towards the dance hall and sighed. I could tell she had something on her mind. Her ears were flattened back, and she seemed uneasy.

I raised my right brow a little and waved a hand in front of her. She snapped out of her trance and looked at me. “Need something?” She asked quickly. I shook my head and relaxed in my seat.

“Just wondering what’s eating you. Everything alright?” I leaned forward a little, my expression softening. She shook her head, her smile returning.

“Yeah, no, all good here.” She muttered. “Just thinking if he’s turning twenty-one, he’s probably going to beeline for the bar when he’s done dancing. I just don’t want to see him get too far gone.”

I chuckled and looked at her, a smirk growing across my face.

“You think this is his first time drinking? He’s been partying since middle school. He knows his limits. He hasn’t had any of the good stuff, it’s always been beer, but he’s got me to keep an eye on him and I know you wouldn’t let him do anything stupid. You put me down for the count back when I went overboard, security didn’t even have time to call it in. I doubt David would be any concern.”

She nodded half-heartedly and set to work cleaning a glass. I shook my head, watching her. I’d caught on pretty quickly that half the time she was cleaning, whether it was the counter or a glass, whatever she was cleaning was already, well, clean. I never understood why, but I was ready to change that.

“So, why do you do that?” I asked. She looked over to me, then to the glass.

“What? Clean it? Somebody has to.” She chortled, and I shook my head at her.

“I get that, but that was already clean. You could have grabbed my shot glass and cleaned it, but you went for that one. I’ve seen you do it before too, what gives?”

She laughed a bit, putting the glass away and facing me, a hand on her hip. “It’s one of the tricks. Nobody likes an idle barkeep; they want someone who’s doing something. So, you clean. But you can’t just grab a glass from someone who’s still at the bar, it’s bad juju.”

Well now I understood why she bothered to begin with, but I was still curious about something. “You said it’s bad juju, what makes you think that?” I asked, with Merissa shaking her head in response.

"Old Barty Maze. Bartender back in the old days, way before our time. Had a habit of taking up glasses before folks got out of their seats. Guy came through town and stopped for a drink, Barty took his glass, and the dude thought it meant he wanted him gone. Shot poor Barty then and there. Ever since, there’s this superstition that taking a glass from someone still at the bar is bad luck.” She explained.

I mulled it over, nodding slowly. “Alright, fair ‘nuff.” I smiled, tapping my water glass with my claw. It was empty and had been empty since halfway through her story about Barty Maze. She rolled her eyes, wasting no more time in refilling my glass.

As she did, I felt a pair of arms loop over my shoulders, the hands clasping against my chest. I recognized the blue arm warmers, the grey fur, and the black fingers at once. I was about to greet the caxy but was cut short by his own greeting.

“Ryder, Ryder, Ryder! Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!” He cried, bouncing excitedly as he hugged me tightly from behind. I smiled, and I heard Merissa chuckle quietly. When David let go of me, I turned on my seat and stood, hugging him back. I dwarfed the little caxy, his five-foot, four-inch height tiny in comparison to my seven-foot, two-inch frame. I let him go and he looked up at me with those excited, glowing eyes and let out a happy whimper as he smiled. He buried his face against me, purring and clinging to me tightly as if I’d float away were he to let go.

I felt warm, seeing him so happy. Merissa let out a cough, and David gasped, letting go of me. He raced to the seat beside mine, sitting down as Merissa placed a glass on the counter. He looked at it, one ear to the side as he sniffed at it. He recoiled a little, only to go back for another round of smelling the drink. Curiosity at its cutest, in my opinion. I sat beside him and watched him examine the drink, getting every sense satisfied except taste as he looked it over, sniffed at it, even poked at the glass a couple of times, hesitantly, as if it might jump out at him.

Merissa and I shared a laugh at his behavior, and David looked up at us indignantly. “What? It’s something new! I can’t just go drinking a strange liquid given to me by a stranger!” He defended himself, looking from one of us to the other. Merissa crossed her arms and raised one eyebrow at him.

“A stranger? I'm hurt kiddo, you've known me for years.” She said, her tone becoming stern and almost motherly. It was a stark contrast to how she spoke to me, treating me more like an old man she had to watch for, while David got the mom-and-son treatment.

“That’s how I know you’re a stranger! Stranger than me, at least!” He retorted, giggling as his tail uncoiled from his waist, stretching to its full nine-foot length, swaying, curling, and uncurling behind him as he lifted the glass to his lips.

It was perfect. As soon as the liquid hit his tongue, the fur all across his body stood on end, all sharp and frazzled, as he was hit with the taste and the burn of the alcohol. He gagged, struggling to keep it down as he placed the glass on the counter. Merissa and I laughed, with the hyena cackling at the face he’d made. I rubbed his back, the grey-blue fur of my hand bright against the smoky grey of his own, and he coughed at the burn of the alcohol.

When he finally cleared his throat of its sting, he looked at Merissa with wide eyes. “Are you trying to kill me!?” He sputtered, glaring daggers at the hyena. Merissa laughed again, shaking her head, and pouring him a glass of water.

“Just giving you a birthday present, my world-famous Merissa Mix.”

David stuck out his tongue and made a sound of disgust. “What’s in that stuff? It tastes like…Like vinegar and bleach!” He cried, wincing at the sight of the glass that once hosted the concoction. Merissa giggled, reaching for a few bottles.

“It’s a special mix of Heavusian Ale, Eikirian salt-wine, and Blackbush gin, with a helping of Merry Berry to round out the taste.” She said proudly, excited to share what she clearly thought was an ingenious mixed drink. David glowered at her, but relaxed, sighing as he lay against the counter.

“So, it’s vinegar and bleach, got it.” David said with a groan. I rubbed his back again, chuckling.

“Merissa, can we get a glass of Greatwood Grog for the birthday boy? Something tasty, you know?” I suggested earning a playful scowl from the hyena.

“You can’t blame me for wanting to put him off alcohol, I see enough drunks and weirdos, I don’t want to imagine what a guy like David would be like drunk off his ass.” She retorted. David laughed, flashing his trademark boyish grin as Merissa turned away to find the ingredients.

“Me? I’d probably be dancing on the bar top, naked. You’d love it! A nice, young, attractive guy showing you his bits for free, putting on a sexy little show for ya? Bet it’d break your dry spell!” He mouthed off. I could hear the shift in Merissa’s attitude, and I felt the hairs across my body stand on end. She was pretty open about the lack of action she had been getting the last few years. Open, yes, but sensitive. She turned to face David with a gentle smile that threw me off guard, having fully expected her to lash out.

Instead, she simply leaned over the countertop and got right in David’s face. He watched her cautiously, his ears back. He had crossed the line, and realized as much by now for sure. He looked as worried as I felt about her reaction. When she finally spoke, her words dripped honey and sugar, her tone sickeningly sweet.

“Oh David, I wouldn’t dream of letting you dance naked on this counter. I’d hate for you to make a fool of yourself in front of that male you’re always telling me about. You know, the one you’ve been coming here to see for the last few years, the big, strong, sexy male with the massive-”

David cut her off, suddenly covering her mouth with one hand and holding her muzzle shut with the other. I raised an eyebrow, curious. David had been telling Merissa about someone? I had seen him dancing in the crowd, and thinking back I was able to recall a few men in the crowd he had leaned into, their touches, their advances. He hadn’t let them interrupt his dancing, but he’d certainly enjoyed their attention. Was it one of them? I looked from David to Merissa. The former was wide-eyed and tense while the latter was giggling through her closed maw.

“Got someone you've been chasin', Davey?" I inquired, sparking a nervous look from the caxy. Merissa pulled back, freeing her muzzle from David’s grip, and smirking at him. David stammered, barely forming words as he looked from me to Merissa. He shrank back, ears flat back against his head and his tail quickly snaking around his waist with the end finding his muzzle as he began to chew at it. He only did that when a line had been crossed, and I wasn't about to take it further.

Merissa sauntered away, leaving us be. I suppose she recognized her work was done. She’d gotten him back, and needed to tend to other customers. “Hey, Davey, it’s okay man, relax a little. You don’t have to talk about it. C’mon, take a breath.” I reassured, with David’s chewing slowly coming to a halt. He looked at me with wide eyes, slowly removing his tail from his maw.

“Uh… Y-Yeah… Right. Right, I know.” He said hesitantly. He almost looked confused for a minute, like he had expected me to press the issue. I gave him a calm smile and stretched a little, popping my back and letting out a low growl of comfort. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I checked the time. It was only a quarter past midnight, I was accustomed to staying up much later, but my set left me tired. I was about to suggest leaving when I realized Merissa hadn’t given him the drink I’d ordered.

I called her over, and David shrunk a little as she approached. “Yes, Mister Big-Strong-and-Sexy?” She cooed. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head a little.

“You forgot David’s drink, the grog?” I reminded her. She gasped, the realization dawning on her. I laughed a little and looked over at David to make a comment, but he still seemed uneasy. I guess he was worried she was still angry at him for his comment earlier.

Merissa didn’t waste any time, apologizing before preparing the drink for David, placing it in front of him and giving him a sheepish smile. “Sorry, kid. I uh…Got a little distracted. That smart mouth of yours is going to get us both in trouble if you don’t learn to control it.” She gave him a wink and stepped away to clean a glass. As she turned away, David nodded quietly, picking up his glass and lifting it to his lips slowly, letting the scent fill his nose before letting the liquid touch his muzzle.

It met his lips in the gentlest of kisses, and he let in the smallest drops of the liquid. With his first taste test done, he mulled over it for a moment, his brow furrowing and a questioning look in his eyes. After he finished processing the taste and the scent, he took a full sip. Auburn liquid flowed from the glass into his maw, and I smiled as he closed his eyes, letting it settle on his tongue for a moment before I saw him swallow.

“How is it, man? Taste good?” I asked, cocking my head to the side. He nodded, purring a little as he took another sip. Swallowing again, he placed his glass on the counter and slid it to the side, leaning over the counter and laying his head on it, facing me. His eyes, half-lidded in their usual relaxed expression, locked on mine for a moment. I smiled at him, and he smiled back shyly.

"It tastes...sweet." Closing his eyes, he relaxed. He looked peaceful. The steady, slow rise and fall of his breathing, the quiet purring emanating from him. His tail was uncurling from his waist again, flopping lazily onto the floor around his chair. I figure he was tired from the events of the night too.

He opened his eyes, seeing me watching him and raising up to take hold of his drink again. Sipping at it, he glanced my way. “Hey, Rye? Do you ever look for anyone to just…I dunno, spend time with? A boyfriend? Girlfriend?” He asked. Truth be told, I hadn’t. I was pretty content with things as they were. I hadn’t thought about dating since my last breakup, nearly four years ago. Being honest, it left a sour taste in my mouth whenever I thought of trying to date, since then.

“No, I can’t say I have. I mean, if I did, they’d have to be cool with you spending most nights at my place. I'm not gonna tell you that you can't chill there, or that you can't sleep with us. I’m not really looking for one, but I’d have to find someone that wouldn’t be upset if they woke up and saw you holding on to me from the other side of the bed." I said plainly.

His eyes widened, and he got very quiet. His purring stopped, and I swear I could see the blue screen of death in his eyes. He froze completely, and Merissa came over, having only been a few feet away. It was likely she'd been listening in. She always made it her business to know what was being said at her bar, and while she once assured me she tuned most of it out, it didn’t mean she couldn’t hear it at all.

“Nice going, you broke him.” She joked, walking past to grab a bottle for another customer down the line. David blinked a few times, averting his eyes quickly and, without warning, drinking every last drop from his glass in one long, continuous chug before setting the empty container onto the bar.

His eyes darted to Merissa, and with shaky words, called out to her.

"Merissa, strongest drink you got, pretty please? I need it."

End of Chapter Two

Author's Note: This is still a draft, and any critiques are welcome to help me improve it! I said I was going to try shorter chapters for now but I may switch to longer ones later, right? Well, have a little bit of a longer chapter. I don't have a set length of chapters, so some will be noticeably shorter or longer.

Tag List:

Tagging these folks cause they seem to like my work! If you would like to be added (or removed), just let me know!

This is going to be one of those title where I think I already understand how the entire plot is going to go before I even open the book.