All Bar Two

It was midday, and not much was active. Especially in the night-time orientated areas of the city of Scelus. The sounds of footsteps approached a bar. One. Two. Three. The door opened, and there in the entranceway, was a wolf. Her fur was black, with the occasional grey on her muzzle and arms. Within her bangs was a single streak of electric yellow. In fact, the wolf in question seemed particularly electric. Not due to the element, but how lively she was. A white jacket with yellow highlights, red joggers and gloves, and a wide confident grin. 

The slight scent of fish hit her nose as she entered the fish-themed aquatic bar. The Sunken Reef. Quite popular within this city of crime, but not for crime-related reasons. Rather, it was a pleasant atmosphere, and in addition, the bartender was quite cute.

Speaking of...

Sam hopped onto one of the stools by the bar counter, legs swivelling around to tap against the wood of the table. Her grin widened, and her grey fingers drummed lightly against the surface like she were playing a piano - there was a certain tune to it. "Heeey gurl!" she hollered, raising her other hand for a wave, "Whatcha been up to today?"

It was near the center of the bar that the hybrid aquatic girl stood. An appearance one could easily question whether she was a squid of jellyfish, as many had questioned. Her light teal skin a good match to her darker teal dreads which slightly stuck out from her purple hat. Her wares were quite bare as it was a simple purple 'dress' with open front and a shell decoration.

The woman had not 100% realized another had entered her bar. Her own focus was at the build in aquarium she was cleaning. Quite happy with the fishes and seaslugs provided by a kind green and yellow tiger.

It took the wolf's voice to break her fixation on the glass, perking up and turning towards the entrance. "Yooooooo~" She chimmed, putting her cleaning supplies down and heading over to the actual bar as she made a graceful hop over the counter. "I am fine, hings been slowwww. How have you been though? And can I get you anything?"

"Yeah! I'll have a whiskey! ...Er just one. For the entirety of today. If I ask for another then just slap my hand and say no," she replied with a smirk and a small wiggle of her index finger. Her somewhat large tail coiled around her legs and the base of the stool and she leaned forward, looking the hybrid aquatic mobain over, "And I've been great! Got my day off today, then it's back cruisin' the radio waves, setting smooth tunes across the land!"

"So! Atlanta, wasn't it? In case you forgot, I'm Sam! Hey!" a laugh, "And it should pick up during the night! Bet it always does - you seem like the type who likes being busy! But not chaos-busy. But a nice and controlled busy."

"I will keep you to that." She said with a chuckle as she moved to the many bottles behind the bar, snatching out the whiskey and a glass to pour it in. "But if you aren't putting the tunes on, who is today? And will they be as smooth as when you do it?" Drip when the last bit of the whiskey she poured. Putting the bottle away and nudging he glass in her direction.

"And believe me, didn't forget your name, not a hard one to remember honestly." A chuckle as the hybrid just hopped up to sit onto of the wooden surface. "It does tend to pick up a loooooot around like seven-ish. And hell yeah I like it when it's busy. Means I don't have to sit still and be bored, if you catch my drift."

"Oh, it's pre-recorded," she waved a hand, taking the glass to take a small sip. She paused for a brief moment. Okay yeah, one drink. The sudden buzz was strong. Sam gave it a second for the booze to go down, making it an awkward pause, before she continued; "We do it all the time! Like, there's two of us, and I'm FRANKENHOWL AAAOOOUUUHHHHH~! and the other is DOCTOR DISCO! MWAHAHAHA! ...And I know the monster isn't called Frankenstein but I thought it sounded cool. And yeah we basically take it week-for-week. So from now, it's my week off!"
Pause.
"And I can't do the evil laugh as well as she can. That's why I'm the howler~" she grinned widely, giving a wink in return. She considered taking another sip, and she did, with a slight wrinkle of her wolfy face.

"That why you're cleaning the tanks for the fish then, 'Lanta?" she asked, "Cause I don't see anyone else here - I'm surprised. Kinda sucks, but hey, more you for me!"

"Gotta say, pre-recording it is a very smart idea. Makes it less work." She said with a chuckle as she stretched out. "Honestly if a name works, it works for both parties. It's about the idea and passion and if it works!" She said with a small kick of her legs as her gaze turned towards her bar. "Then you just gotta practice that evil laughter."A dramatic turn to the wolf. "Let me hear it~."

Another kick with her legs lazily. "And yeah that is why I was cleaning, plus the fish are still quite new so I want to make sure they are well kept!." A short pause. "And I just really enjoy looking at them because they are adorable." Her words were followed with a small nod to herself.

"Well, the evil laugh ain't mine, it's Doctor Disco's! Not really mine to practice, ya know? It's like... like if I were to start dancing on a stage in place of someone else!... Well that's a bad analogy cause my dancing is groovy but y'know, you get my point! Not good! Yep!" she took another small sip, albeit even more minuscule than the last, before slowly and slightly sliding the glass away, tasting the aftertaste in her mouth for a few seconds. It was odd.

"And I dunnooooo... I've seen more adorable things," she grinned widely at Atlanta.
...
"Like kittens."
Nice save.

"You have a point there." She started only to raise a finger. "But you can still practice~ Just like hot people can practice dancing despite not being on stage." She explained. Before adjusting her hat slightly. "I mean I practice silly small things as well despite them not being my job. Yes I do practice the things related to it. But also things like graffiti." Another leg kick followed. "It has nothing to do with my job or what I am supposed to do but I still practice and enjoy it so~."

And then she spoke with that super smooth save. Now the hybrid had a small internal dilemma. While she was used to at least remote things like this by drunk guests, the how to deal with them was different. Either she could ignore it or play it right back at them.

She had made her choice. "Just kittens? That are quite few adorable things really. I bet you there are way more adorable things~."

"Hey, hey! I'm not planning on taking Two-D's PLACE! If I started practicing her jig, the jig'd be UP and she'd blow a casket and probably kick me out of the radio tower at least twenty times! Give or take twenty! Plus, she does it cool, and the audience like her! Almost as much as they like me!" she pointed both thumbs at herself, "But see... she doesn't have as great as a taste in music as I do. And I take requests! ...She handles the prizes. Which is lame. Cause I wanna do the prizes." A pout.

And then she smirked again, pressing her gloved hands against the table, "And yo~! Graffiti's cool! When it's all pretty and actual art, and not just really badly done dicks drawn by 14 year olds!" her eyes widened, then she looked away with a slight redness to her cheeks, "Unless you're one of those people who do those kinda drawings. Then no offence. I just think you should find a... better... lifestyle???"

And then the black wolf slumped her head against the desk with a goofy grin, her finger slooowly going round and round the edge of her glass, "If I say 'kids' will I get in your good books?"

"Diiiid I ever said you will take heir place?" She calmly replied with a warm smile. "Sneakily do the prize stuff on the week she is not there or just ask politely?" The hybrid suggested, toying ever so slightly with one of her two dreads, twirling her finger through it absent mindlessly. "Then again I do understand. I would get pissed if my bouncer tried to actually be behind the bar." She admitted, crossing her legs.

"No offense taken as that is not what I do." She said with a smile as the reached into the band of her head on the inside and pulled out her phone. Best hiding spot ever for it considering she has no pockets. And she poked the screen a bunch to flick it to a few photos before turning it to the wolf to show. "I use a mixture of water, moss and a little bit of soil and it makes these really cool moss like graffiti." She explained as she showed a few of the photos, most just fancy cursive writings of words like 'hope, faith, believe, ect.

"You would." The aquatic mobian said with a smirk. "Kids can be so adorable if they are raised well and have a nice personality. Other wise they are just hell spawns."

"Ooh, yeah! But see, Two-D's supposed to be the really ineffective villain who's 'taken over the radio waves' and wants to play 'great tunes' to lull the masses! And they give gifts away to fans in their war for GREAT MUSIC! ...And I'm the evil FRANKENHOWL! AAOOOOUUUHHHH~! And I'm the MONSTER OF MUSIC they created to serve under them! But if I do that, ooh, I could do like... some sort of dumb silly plot-line where I sneak gifts cause I want the fans instead! Or something! It's in the works! Nice." Sam nodded to herself, "Though sometimes we get heroes in person or in letter and email form because they think it's real," she grinned widely, "I got a death threat once! The grammar was all over the place, it was so bad!"

"And whoa hey! That's super cool! Hey, you need to show me how to do that - now I feel like running about and decorating the Tower in all of those fancy moss words! It's really lighten the place up and give some good vibes! I think the staff'd appreciate it."

She pulled the glass closer and took another sip. Sam was really wondering if she should just chug the whole thing since every sip was just a buzz. But she quickly came to the conclusion that it was an awful idea.

"THEN I LOVE KIDS!" thumbs up, "They're... uh... cute! And... kid... like...?? And er, have... a taste in music???"

"Ayeeee~" A smile. "I do really like the fact that you worked in a story line into the whole radio show! It feels like it is something that motivated people to keep listening to hear where it goes in the end~." She said as she took her phone back, locking the screen before tucking it back into her hat. "How far do you have it planned ahead? Or just improvise allll the way?" The hybrid's smile faded to be replaced by a worried frown. "That is not a good thing though. I mean we are on a planet where people are crazy enough to actually own up to those threats!"

A small movement to sit a bit more comfortable on the wooden surface of the bar counter. "It is a huge mess though, mostly inside. Would advice to just get flowers or have it painted on the wall." She explained calmly.

"Never been around kids that much, have you?" A small chuckle followed that. "They are nice enough, tend to watch over my niece a lot."

"Pshhffpsh! It'd be unprofessional of us if we didn't have stuff planned! This is our job after all!" she replied with a wide wave of her hand, that found itself firmly placed upon her hip, "Buuut I can't disclose any of that or she'll kill me, so let's talk about something else!" The wolf leaned back somewhat on her chair, a wide goofy smirk on her face, as he tail uncoiled and preferred to instead sway in the air, occasionally brushing against the floor, "And like I'm no artist, but I know a fair few! So yeah, sounds good. Get some commissions going to liven the ol' office up."

She raised her legs, resting them on the chair next to her, as her hip leaned against the side of the counter. She was probably getting too relaxed here, "And kinda? I don't have any, and I don't talk to my family that much, so uh, nnnoooo? But I like 'em though I think. I just work out and play sweet jams - I don't have time to play patty-cake with ll' munchkins, ya hear?"

"Don't worry I wont ask." A chuckle from the hybrid as she kind of 'flopped' back to be near horizontal on the counter if it wasn't for her legs that were bend and used to hook onto the wood to ensure no falling backwards. "In an abstract way you are an artist as you are able to tell a story in a different way. Which technically is an art in and off itself. Think back to those old school radio dramas!" She said with a smirk as she pulled herself back up with her legs to sit straight up.

"Believe me I know the feeling of not really having the time for them." She said rubbing the back of her neck lightly. "They tend to be more than a slight handful if they aren't raised well. They will demand every second of your time and will get frustrated if they are not given it." A huff. "But regardless, what else do you find cute?" Smooth transition is a go.

Ignoring all other topics, Sam instead reached for her glass in this moment of silence where the question was asked. Her fingers curled around it slowly, lifted it up slowly, raised it to her lips... and took a large sip. Throughout this entire time, she never broke eye contact with the bartender. It was entirely deliberate, and she continued to do this even when she just... gradually placed the glass back down at a snail's pace. Her hands rested against the table. Her cheeks were slightly red.
"Squid bartenders."

Talk about missing a beat to let tension build before picking it right back up. The hybrid was not gonna lie, that looked adorable with that subtle blush on the wolf's cheeks. She waited a moment to reply due to the great urge to throw a joke at her with technically being only half correct.

Though instead the aquatic woman leaned forward enough to lean her elbows on the table and rest head on her hands, practically laying more than sitting. "I must ask, is it just the buzz speaking?" She said with a small smirk. "And honestly you should look in the mirror if you want to see something way cuter."

"I don't get buzzed," Sam scoffed loudly, "I can hold my own!" The black wolf rolled her eyes, brushing her hair out of her eyes  with a gentle flick of her head. It fell back into place, and she adjusted it with her hands instead, "I'm 100% entirely super conscious of everything I'm doing and saying, soooo yeeeaaah!"

A shrug of her shoulders, and she whisked the glass into her hand again to finish what remained, "Aren't I allowed to give cute compliments to major cuties? Caaauuuse the cutie's you, 'Lanta!" She winked, and placed the empty beverage down, "And ha hhhha! I'm cute, a lil'. Not overly. But thanks~!"

Honestly the woman doubted that the other woman was fully speaking the truth. If any the aquatic one believe there at least was that slight bit of buzz. At least a tiny bit. She was sure of it. Though she was not gonna bring that up. "Want me to refill with water?" She instead asked politely and with a warm smile as she tapped the glass that the wolf just put down.

"Will admit, not many call me that with such sincerity. Thank you." Another warm smile was flashed at the wolf. "Try to back track all you want but you are cute in your own way. Not the kind of 'fluffy bunnies and tiny kittens' cute. But the more mature and adult way cute."

"Yeahokayplease," her ears slumped slightly, and the wolf slid the glass over to the aquatic bartender with a loud huff, "I know I said only one, I knooow. Gotta keep myself to that. Sucks." Removing her legs off the stool she was resting up, and giving it a small wipe with her gloved hand, the woman slouched forward with an arch brow, and her head propped up with her other hand.

"And sure, sure, I'll take that! At least you took it yourself, you deserve to year it, yo!" She nodded her head, momentarily slipping her head out from her hand, only to quickly readjust herself in an awkward stumble, "Buuuut I should stop keepin' ya, sure you have better things to do than hear me!"

Seems like the wolf had almost forgotten about having said to only be allowed one glass of whiskey. A small chuckle escaped the bartender as she pushed herself to sit up right and slip over the counter to stand behind it. Gracefully snatching the glass and holding it under the faucet to fill it with water.

"You okay though? You seem a tad out of it." She asked calmly as she turned the faucet off and put the glass in front of the wolf. "It's fine, I enjoy your company! And be honest." She said gesturing to the empty bar. "There is nothing else to do except filling up time till night."

"Always fine! Neeeever been better!" she replied with a smirk, taking a large gulp of the water with a loud sigh afterwards, "Bluh... water's always so... tasteless afterwards..." She shook her head, idly rotating her finger around the edge of the glass, but her ears did perk up at the hybrid's words.
"Oh, uh, thanks! You're pretty chill too, hell, I'd say rad as all hell! But like, you sure? I mean I know you don't have anything buuut just gotta keep askin', yo!"

"Well I do have lemonade if you'd rather have that?" She said with a chuckle. Because honestly the wolf was right, water was just so plain. Might be why  the hybrid never drank it. A smirk creeping on her face as she stretched out. "Honestly I could really do with your company yeah. Do you have any idea how quiet this place tends to get without any visitors? Like creepily quiet even if I have music on!"

The teal woman side as she made a dramatic gesture with her arms. Before she hopped right back onto the counter. "Like sometimes it freaks me out even." She started. "Despite working here daily. There just tends to be this...atmosphere that empty bars and such tend to have. A thick one that feels like you could cut it up with a knife and makes you shudder ever few minutes." She explained.

"Lemonade? Whaaaat, gurl, you cray. You have any idea what bubbles to do me, hell, you don't WANT to know. And with alcohol to boot, not a fun combination for aaaanyone!" She shook her head vigorously, and then raised it to give a wide and confident smirk, her hand brushing her bangs out of her eyes, "I'm fine though, thanks, 'Lanta!"
Though okay Sam did feel a bit like crap.
Regardless, she propped her head up with her hands and smiled, "Aaaand thanks! That's groovy to hear - especially from you of all peeps! Really says a lot when a rad cutie compliments me for company!"

"Don't you have any more staff here?" she asked, "Cause like, you should... get more... if you don't? It'd be a lot less lonely and a lot more chill with some peeps around!"

"Ooooh you one of those people who get really burpy and vomitty from bubbles, I see." A chuckle escaped her lips. Yeah it was somewhat cruel to chuckle at that. Mostly since it tended to suck both for the drinker as well as for her with needing to clean it up at the bar. Good thing she developed a good strong stomach thanks to it.

A pause in her legs before she started to kick her legs one after the other. "I have more staff! A co-owner and a bouncer." She explained as she looked at the wolf. "My co-owner mostly does the maths and accounting since I quite frankly blow at that." She started. "And my bouncer I tend to only ask to come in when I know a night is going to be busy and rowdy."

Another leg kick as she leaned forward to rest her torso on her legs. "Honestly yeah it would be less lonely BUT it makes little sense to get more staff when nobody is around just because I am lonely."

"Whaaaaat?" she leaned forward with a gasp and a tiny cute hiccup, "You're here by yourseeelf then? Yo! No, that's not chill! How do you handle yourself when it gets busy? That's... that's wack! Even I couldn't do that much work! It's.. it's like stress up the wall!" she raised her hands, before putting them back down onto the table with a gentle thud. She took another swig of water.

"Hey, I'd say get more! No way you'd be able to handle an entire bar by yourself on weekend nights! Yo, 'Lanta my girl, this here's a city! And y'all gotta know when to crank up your systems!" She nodded to herself. She seemed to be mildly fluctuating between her radio persona and herself.