Bartending

[aleister_author]

The sign goes up in a simple white chalk scrawl.

Mixed Special Tonight
10% off mixed drinks
50% off if you have a mixed species relationship

No, they can't both count at the same time.

"Happy Hour is on folks. Come and get it!"

Comments

[a1enzo]

Enzo grins at the specials. "That's half off for me, then."

He knew it had to be good for something.

"Does it count double if my girlfriend is a mixed species?"

[aleister_author]

"Lay it out for me and we'll see."

Tyler flips the traditional bartender's towel onto his shoulder.

"What're you after?"

[a1enzo]

Well, extra discount or not, might as well go with the theme. "Virgin BlackBerry daiquiri? Digital ingredients are over there."

[aleister_author]

Tyler reaches over and flips the Big Book O' Drinks to the digital section and then heads for the digital ingredients.

"So, what's the species barrier between you and your girl?"

[a1enzo]

"She's half human, half ghost."

[aleister_author]

"Huh."

Juice, fruit, something cold that almost looks like ice, syrup and a sugar cube that isn't crumbling at all go into a blender.

"That's a new one I'll admit. And I thought we had one of everything in New York."

[a1enzo]

Enzo grins. "Next time, try Illinois."

[aleister_author]

After running the blender Tyler decants it into the waiting glass before handing it over.

"Fair enough. How about you greenjeans?"

[a1enzo]

First time he's heard that one.

"Data sprite. Antivirus and system repair program. ...in training."

[aleister_author]

Tyler is a source of classic nicknames. Or occasionally just old ones.

"Well that helps explain the virgin part of the order."

[a1enzo]

Enzo snorts. He knows he looks older than he is, but not by that much. Like the barman needed to be told.

[aleister_author]

"Like I know how you age. My girlfriend is older than my country and I drop in for drinks and a game of chess with a guy who's older than Christianity."

[a1enzo]

"Fair enough. And I live on a faster timescale than humans. Things match up pretty well when I come here, though."

[aleister_author]

"It does seem to cover for a whole range of issues."

Time, language, currency, probably gravity if things were extreme enough.

"So are you based anywhere that I would have heard of or is it some out of the way corner of the internet?"

[a1enzo]

"I don't see how you'd have heard of my system, except here, but it's in Vancouver."

[aleister_author]

"Decent city, lots of little genre bookstores."

Tyler has his own focus on what is important for a city.

"At least I think that was Vancouver. It might have been Seattle. Things were blurry by that point in the tour."