Booze and Booty

It was a slow night at the local bar, for which Tsubaki was extremely grateful. She hated when the bar was bustling with people, everyone bumping into each other and orders taking longer to get to her. This particular bar was almost always busy thanks to Hop’s specialty drinks being so popular throughout all of Burrowgatory. 

“Can I get you another drink?” Hops asked as she bounded over to Tsubaki, noticing she had finished her first one. 

“Yes please, I’ll have a Sin and Tonic this time.” Tsubaki sat back a bit on her stool and slid her empty glass over to Hops.

“Coming right up!” Hops smiled, taking the empty glass from Tsubaki to put with the dirty dishes before making her a fresh glass. “Here you are.” She presented her with the drink.

“Thanks,” Tsubaki took the drink and, unlike the first one where she took her time, downed the second one near instantly. 

This caused Hops to raise a brow and lean over the counter towards her. “Rough day?”

“You could say that,” Tsubaki murmured, now feeling tipsy after downing her second drink so fast. “Could I get a, uh…” Tsubaki squinted at the menu, where she saw four new drinks that weren’t there the last time she was here. “A Salty Grog? Wait, no. A Swimosa. Or a Scale Ale. Any of them really.” Clearly Tsubaki became far less decisive than usual under the effects of alcohol. 

“Alright,” Hops made another drink and slid it towards her. “But try to drink this one more slowly, okay?”

“No promises.” Tsubaki chuckled as she took the glass and sipped it. Wow, it certainly wasn’t called a Salty Grog for no reason… this one had quite a punch to it. 

“So, wanna tell me what’s on your mind?” Hops asked. If there was one thing she knew after so many years of bartending, it was that the more she connected with a customer, the more likely they were to return and the more likely they were to tip big. Also, sometimes it was just nice to hear what a drunk person had to say, as it could often range from hilarious to thought provoking. “Money troubles? Boy troubles? Girl troubles?” Tsubaki’s lip twitched at the last one, causing Hops to lean in closer and repeat. “Girl troubles?”

Tsubaki quickly downed the rest of her drink, since she suddenly decided that she wasn’t yet drunk enough to have this conversation. Ah, yes, there we go. Now her head was spinning enough to talk about it. Alcohol always did have a way of loosening her lips, as it did with so many others. “I just…” Tsubaki gestured to her glass for a refill. “I just feel like no girl who I’m attracted to wants what I want, you know? They all want casual fun while I want something more…” A depressed sigh escaped her lips.

“Ah,” Hops looked at her sympathetically as she poured her another drink, once more sliding it across the bar. This time a Swimosa since Tsubaki seemed to want to try the new drinks. “Well truthfully, your problem is quite an uncommon one,” Hops admitted. It was true; most of the buns in Burrowgatory were quite happy to have flings and multiple partners rather than anything exclusive or serious. 

“Yeah…” Tsubaki stared sadly at the counter, seemingly contemplating if she even wanted another sip of alcohol.

“But,” Hops added, “I’ve had a lot of customers in my time, and I can assure you that you aren’t alone. However rare, there are others who want the same as you, so don’t give up looking, okay?”

Tsubaki was silent for several moments as she contemplated Hop’s words, taking a small sip of her drink. Finally, she nodded with the tiniest of smiles. “Thank you.” 

“Anytime.” Hops smiled back.