Volume 15 - Back to Business, Chapter 112 - Barflies

"Hey, Actia…" Chione said into her cell phone as she peered out her bedroom window at the rising moon. For the nocturnal gargoyle, her day had barely begun.

"Yeah, Chi-chan?" Actia replied. She knew that cutesy nickname always made Chione blush.

This time, the reaction wasn't very strong. Chione just replied, "Wanna go somewhere tonight?"

"Sure. What were you thinking?"

Chione sighed. "Anywhere other than here, I guess. The atmosphere's been tense ever since that new Aluru girl showed up. And now she's in a bad mood for some reason and it got even worse. At dinner, everyone was so stiff and careful, like they were walking on eggshells."

"Ah, I see," Actia said. As an introvert, she tended to avoid drama like that, so she didn't have much to offer in the way of solutions. But then an idea popped into her head. "How about we go to the Wild Life and visit Mimi?"

A smile finally returned to Chione's face. "That does sound nice. Is she working tonight?"

"Yeah, she should be. Remember how she said she'd be working Sunday through Thursday nights for a while?" Actia said. She was good at remembering details like that.

"Oh, right. Let's do it then. Want to meet me there?"

"Yep. Seeya in a few."

Chione hung up and immediately started on a new dilemma: deciding what to wear. If I wear one of my pleated skirts, Mimi will probably poke fun at me, saying something like "Ain't a schoolgirl like you too young to be in a bar?"

She didn't want to keep Actia waiting too long, so Chione quickly settled on a knee-length blue cotton skirt and a white sleeveless blouse. When she unbuttoned the top two buttons, it looked sexy and a bit mature. She wasn't entirely sure about the look, but it was way better than being called a schoolgirl.

She pulled her long cyan hair back into a tight ponytail to keep it from getting too messed up by the wind. Then she grabbed her small purse and secured it across her chest. She exited her bedroom and started for the back deck. Thankfully, given the current drama, she didn't see anyone on the way. Once there, she unfurled her colorful wings and took to the sky.

"Hey hey!" called a familiar voice from deeper in the bar. It was Mimi, who had quickly spotted the newest arrivals. The pink haired mimic energetically waved them over.

Chione and Actia approached the bar and claimed two seats. Actia had to climb up her stool while the taller Chione just tucked her skirt under herself and sat down.

Mimi, wearing a cleavage baring t-shirt with "Wild Life" written across the chest, smiled at her friends. "It's great to see you again. And you're both looking good. On a date?"

"Good to see you too, Mimi," Chione said, internally sighing in relief that Mimi didn't tease her about her clothes. Then she looked over at Actia, hoping the mothgirl would answer the date question, since Chione didn't want to reveal the real reason for the visit.

Actia wore a dark gray dress with short sleeves and an even shorter skirt that flared out at the hips. She liked the way it made her butt look, but she had to wear shorts underneath, lest she show more than she wanted to.

Actia smiled back at Mimi and said, "I suppose you could call it that. It was just a spur of the moment thing, mostly to get out of the house."

"Well you chose a good night for it. It's actually calm in here for once. Things have been getting busier and busier lately," Mimi said. Then she blurted, "Oh damn, I'm being a shitty bartender. What can I get you to drink?"

Actia went with her usual midori and lemonade, but Chione wanted to try something new. She asked, "Do you know a good drink that's light and sweet? But with a bit of a kick?" She wanted something strong enough to get her mind off the problems at home.

A long pink tendril emerged from below the bar and Mimi scratched her chin with it. She normally kept them out of sight while working, for obvious reasons, but the bar was pretty empty and she felt very comfortable around her friends. "That's quite a specific request, but I think I can whip something up. Be right back."

The mimic nudged the joystick on her electric cart and rolled her chest to the other end of the bar to scan the liquors there.

While Mimi was gone, Actia grabbed Chione's stony hand and peered up at her, seeing dozens of slightly different angles of her girlfriend through her multi-faceted eyes. "You're very pretty tonight," she said.

A broad smile appeared on Chione's lips and she placed her other hand on top of Actia's. "Thanks, Actia. You're looking beautiful, too." She lowered her voice and said, "That dress makes your butt look great."

Actia grinned and said, "I know, and I thought you might like it. You've become a bit of an ass girl, lately, Chi-chan."

"Oh, really?" Mimi said from mere inches away. She had quietly rolled back to their end of the bar and was leaning forward with a look of keen interest in her mismatched eyes.

In perfect sync, both Chione and Actia turned bright red. They were both very tight-lipped about their private time and sexual preferences, at least when talking to others. They had started being pretty open with each other, but now that had backfired slightly.

Mimi chuckled and waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, girls. Your secret butt-fondness is safe with me. Here're your drinks." After she set the glasses down, she turned to address the still-blushing Chione directly. "Let me know how it is. I got a little experimental, so if you don't like it, I'll make you something else free of charge."

Chione nodded and focused on the drink before her. It was completely clear and very fizzy, and it smelled of citrus. "What's in it?" she asked warily.

"I'll tell you later. Just try it," Mimi said.

Reluctantly, Chione lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip. As the bubbles tickled her nose and the intense flavor hit her tongue, she giggled involuntarily. There was a lot going on in the drink, so it took her a second to place all the flavors.

"Lemon, lime, orange, and is that grapefruit? How's this so fruity without any color?" she asked.

"I'll tell you later," Mimi repeated. "But do you like it?"

Chione nodded. "Yeah, it's very tasty and refreshing. Like a cool drink after hard exercise." Then she slowly turned and looked Mimi straight in the eyes. "That's where I recognize that taste from…" She glared at the bartender, who just smiled back innocently.

Actia stood on her stool and leaned over to get a better look at Chione's glass, showing the room her perky booty and wisely-chosen shorts. "Huh, what's going on? What's wrong with the drink?" She'd already had about a quarter of her own drink and it tasted just fine.

Chione shook her head in disbelief and proclaimed, "Mimi put Pocari Sweat in it!"

Actia raised one eyebrow and turned to give Mimi her own questioning look. "The weird sports drink? Why would you put that in a cocktail?"

Mimi raised her hands defensively. "Hey, it isn't that weird, it just has a strange name. It's got a nice grapefruit flavor, and plenty of electrolytes. I also figured the fitness buffs from Sports Club Kobold might like the familiar taste, so I've been trying to work it into new cocktails." She had almost called them 'fitness nuts' before remembering that Korbin owned SCK and the Wild Life. It would be best to not insult her boss and his customers.

Chione pointed a stone-grey finger at her glass and asked, "Anything else weird in this?"

"Nope, just Pocari Sweat, lemon-lime soda, triple sec for its orange flavor, and vodka for some extra kick."

Chione maintained her glare but lifted her glass for another drink. It was still light and refreshing, and now she knew the sources of each flavor. She swallowed a mouthful, then said, "Fine, I'll admit it's pretty good, and it does do what I asked for."

Actia's fluffy leaf-shaped antennae angled toward the glass. "Can I try it?" she asked.

"Sure," Chione said and slid the drink over to her petite girlfriend. Then she found herself blushing when Actia's lips touched the same spot where her own lips had just been.

Mimi saw Chione's reaction and said, "You two are just too damn adorable, and I don't mean that in a good way." She feigned disgust and started to roll away. "I need some fresh air."

"Hmm, it is good," Actia said. "I've never had Pocari Sweat before, but I guess it's not bad."

"I drink it from time to time. It's good after a workout," Chione said.

The corner of Actia's lips crept upward into a tiny smirk. "You work out? I didn't know that."

Yet again, Chione flushed red with embarrassment. "I wanted to look good… for you."

Actia ran her hand along Chione's cheek. "You already look great, but I won't say no to an even sexier, healthier you."

Then the petite mothgirl raised her yellow-green drink. It was half emptied and Actia was already tipsy. She cheerfully said, "Let's finish these and get a workout in… on the dance floor."

Chione raised her own glass, tapped it lightly against Actia's, and downed the drink in a few gulps. Actia did the same, then hopped down off her stool and beelined for the open dance floor. No one was there now, but there was some dance music playing over the club's speakers.

Due to their height difference, dancing together normally was hard, but Actia had practice in a different kind of dance. She flapped her wings, pushed off from the floor, and flew. Due to her small size, she was able to flutter around the dance floor without getting too close to the tangle of lights and speakers overhead.

Chione kept her feet on the ground and stuck to more traditional dance moves, while occasionally receiving a dive-bomb kiss or booty-bump from Actia.

From the bar, Mimi watched with a proud smile. Her best friend and honorary sister had found an amazing partner. Then she turned away and scoffed, "Fuckin' dorks."

The next few days at the Wild Life were much busier. A constant flow of customers kept Mimi and the other bartenders scrambling to keep up with the drink orders, and the waitresses didn't fare any better. Even the bouncers were having trouble keeping tabs on all the new faces and managing the line, which ran out the door and down the street during peak hours.

The liminal population of Okayado was booming, both in visitors and permanent residents, but the Wild Life was still the only liminal-centric bar or dance club. In fact, it was the only venue of its type for miles around, so it attracted some club-goers from out of town.

One of those new arrivals pushed her way to the bar and sat down in front of a pink-haired bartender. "Hey, get me an Asahi Super Dry. Uh, please," she said in a rough smoker's voice.

"Coming right up," Mimi replied. She was happy to serve such an easy order that didn't require any preparation. The Wild Life specialized in beer, including imported microbrews, but a growing number of their customers wanted fiddly cocktails with complex recipes and special serving requirements. Secretly, she sometimes made those customers wait longer than necessary for their drinks.

She popped the cap off a large 21-ounce bottle and slid it to the red-skinned newcomer. "I haven't seen you around before," Mimi said. There seemed to be a lull in drink orders, so she decided to chat a bit. That was also part of a bartender's job, after all.

The woman smiled and said, "Yeah, I moved here a few months ago, but I've been keeping a low profile."

Mimi blinked incredulously at the very tall, very red Oni woman. Even her outfit was flashy and eye-catching, with its spiky shoulders and faux-fur shawl. "A low profile? What do you mean?"

The woman took a deep breath and said, "I'm a middle school teacher, and I'm supposed to be a good role model, so I decided I should avoid bars and not let anyone see me smoking and all of that."

Mimi nodded along. "That makes sense. So what brings you here tonight? Don't tell me you lost the job."

The woman shook her head, sending her platinum bangs swishing. Her hair was short but precisely styled, with a braid on one side guiding her hair around one of her small red horns. "Nah, I happened to mention my plan to my boss."

She took a deep swig of her beer, then said, "She laughed at me! She said she'd go crazy if she didn't hit the bars from time to time."

Mimi stifled a laugh of her own and said, "So here you are?"

"So here I am," the woman replied. "The name's Rohe, by the way."

Mimi smiled and said, "Mimi."

Rohe leaned over the bar and looked down at Mimi's feet, or more accurately at the tooth-rimmed box she was standing in. "Ah, a mimic. Nice."

The tall oni sat back down and said, "Sorry about that, but with how blunt I can be, I've found it's best if I confirm the species of the people I talk to. Would rather not assume and say the wrong thing."

"No worries," Mimi said as she towel-dried a beer glass. She certainly knew the trouble being too blunt could get you into. "That's a good system. You're an oni?"

Rohe took another long drink and said, "Yeah. You have no idea how many kids ask if I have a blue-skinned friend because of that one folktale. I'm tempted to make one up, just so they'll shut up about it."

Mimi chuckled and said, "I think we both know that wouldn't help. You'd just be digging yourself a deeper hole, having to answer questions about your imaginary friend."

"Oh, and how are you so wise about human kids, miss bartender?" Rohe asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, I used to be one, back before I became this." She waved down at her treasure chest.

"Whoa, you mean mimics are born human?" Rohe wore a cute, eager expression. With how excited new information got her, it made sense that she was a teacher.

Mimi raised one finger and said, "One second. Got an order over there." With that, she rolled away, leaving Rohe in a state of suspense.

After what felt like an eternity but was actually about three minutes, Mimi rolled back with a fresh bottle of Asahi in hand. "Want another?"

Rohe nodded. "And I want that answer."

Mimi grinned and said, "Yeah, we look like a normal human until puberty. I thought I was human for a long time." She didn't mention how terrifying the mimic transformation had been for her. With her father dead and her mother hibernating who-knows-where, there had been nobody to warn her.

Rohe sipped her new beer and said, "I was the opposite. I didn't even know humans existed until I was fifteen." She shook her head from side to side as she remembered that fateful day. "But I'm still too sober to tell that story," she said.

With a laugh, Mimi said, "I can fix that, if you want." Then she turned and looked at a clock on the wall. "But it's a school night, and you've got that shiny reputation to keep."

"True, true," Rohe said. "How about this? You tell me when you work, and we can pick this up another night."

"Deal. I normally work Sunday through Thursday, but those are all school nights. I'll trade with another bartender for Friday and Saturday."

Rohe stared in disbelief. "You'd do that for me?"

Mimi grinned back at the oni. "Sure. I like talking to you, and you left me curious about your story." She lightly punched Rohe in the arm. "It better be worth it…"

"Oh, it is. It's got everything: sex, scandal, danger, and insane quantities of blueberries."

"What." It was Mimi's turn to stare in disbelief. "No, seriously. What?"

Rohe slid some cash across the bar and stood up. "You'll have to wait 'til Friday, friend. Seeya."

Mimi waved at the departing oni, then returned to work. For the rest of the night, her thoughts kept returning to Rohe's comment about blueberries, and to the fact that she had just made a new friend. That was one more friend than she'd made the entire time she'd been in Tokyo…

"Hello?" Chione mumbled into the phone. She'd been awoken by its ringing, then spent several confused seconds trying to answer it. Other than the phone's display, the room was pitch black, thanks to some very effective blackout curtains blocking the sun. The glow-in-the-dark star stickers on the walls and ceiling rarely got enough light to charge up.

"Sorry for waking you up, Chione," said a familiar voice.

"Mimi? What's going on? Is something wrong?" Mimi of all people definitely knew Chione's sleeping schedule, so a call in the middle of the day had Chione immediately worried.

"No, nothing's wrong, but I do have something kind of urgent to say," Mimi answered.

Chione sat up in bed, her loose and thread-bare t-shirt falling off one shoulder. "Uh, okay. What is it?"

"Do you want a job?" Mimi asked.

"What? What brought this up all the sudden?"

"Just answer the question. Are you interested in a job?"

Chione fidgeted with the rounded tip of her tail. "Uh, not really, or maybe? I want to do something with my life, but I was also considering classes at the college."

"I can get you a job that I think you'd like. But you gotta act fast," Mimi said.

"Well, what is it?" Chione was too tired to be pulling teeth for information.

"Things have been getting really busy at the Wild Life, so Korbin's ramping up hiring for all positions. And I told him I had a potential bouncer lined up."

Chione's jaw dropped. "What? A bouncer? Me?"

"Yeah. I think you'd be great, and the club could use a female bouncer so they can handle lady-related trouble better."

"But where'd you get the idea that I'd be a good bouncer?! I'm just a normal-sized woman, not a giant like Brutus or Kyle."

"Normal-sized, but not normal strength. You carried my chest around like it was nothing, and you're nearly indestructible."

"Hmm, I don't—" Chione started.

Mimi interrupted with, "Oh, and you'd get to be a real guardian of the night, like in that cartoon you like."

Chione's eyes went wide and sparkled in the darkness.

"Welcome to the team, Chione," said Kyle, a 7-foot tall orc with arms as big around as Chione's waist. "I've heard good things from Mimi."

Next to him was a smaller human man named Brutus. Smaller in this case still meant an impressive 6-foot 5-inches. He said, "Yup, and if Mimi likes you, you must be awesome, since Mimi doesn't like anybody."

From the back of the room, Mimi called back, "I heard that, 'Beach Boy'."

The buff, tan, and towering man turned and shouted back, "I meant for you to hear it, 'Chesty LaRue'."

Then Brutus, who was also Mimi's Exchange Program Host, grinned and whispered to Chione, "We like to give each other a hard time. We don't actually dislike each other."

Chione giggled and said, "Yeah, I know. She's said great things about you guys, too."

"Lies! I've done no such thing!" Mimi called from the bar.

The club doors didn't open for another hour, so the employees had plenty of time to talk and joke around while they got ready. Between working with the two bouncers and living with Brutus, Mimi had formed a very close and casual bond with them, and it made Chione happy to see it.

Chione was starting to think that her brash and sleep-deprived decision to take Mimi up on the job offer might have been a good thing after all. Working with her best friend was going to be great, and it felt good to be around more people.

"Alright, Chione. We're gonna need your head in the game tonight," Kyle said in a serious tone. "Since you're still in training, Brutus and I will be helping you, but this will be a real business night."

Brutus nodded and pointed at the front door of the club. "We're expecting nearly a thousand customers to pass through those doors tonight. Some of 'em are gonna get rowdy, and it's our job to keep things under control and keep people happy."

Kyle piped in, "That includes the rowdy people. They're usually good people who we actually want to come back again. Our job is to try to de-escalate the situation, not just give every troublemaker the boot."

Chione nodded. "Got it."

Kyle put a massive hand on Chione's shoulder. "One other thing, which is very important: If a human causes trouble, you can talk to them, but you must never touch them. If things get physical, call for Brutus or whichever other human bouncer is on duty."

Chione swallowed. She knew about the Interspecies Protection Act and how severe the penalties could get. Harming a human, regardless of the circumstances, could get her deported. "Understood. If things get physical with a human, call for the human bouncer," she echoed.

Kyle lifted his hand from her shoulder, then slapped Chione on the back. If she wasn't so incredibly heavy for her size, it might have sent her flying. "You've got it. You'll do great."

Chione peered at the imposing front doors as if they were holding back a horde of drunken troublemakers, waiting to swarm into the club. "If you say so."