[Gift] Happy Hour Cuddle Pile

Being a bar, the Rabbit Hole had seen its fair share of loud and rowdy patrons. Security was always nearby in case things got too hectic for the staff to handle, but Hops felt she could call herself a bonafide de-escalator of non-violent confrontations, like yelling. Or crying. 

It just so happened that tonight was probably going to devolve into both of those. Since it was a weekday, there weren’t as many customers today as a weekend or Friday evening, but there was one noisy bun melting on the edge of the bar counter; the description was rather appropriate as one of her cheek marks looked like dripping ice cream.

“I don’t get why buns are so rude nowadays!” she wailed while holding her drink, which happened to be one of Hops’ signatures. “I was just checking on how the customers were doing, and when I asked someone how they were doing, y’know what they said?!”

Hops was a little surprised but also relieved that the buns surrounding her were actually open to listen rather than cussing her out. One of them, a colorful and cheerful looking one, was patting the pink bun’s back and nodding along.

“They said, ‘I’m eating, don’t talk to me while eating.’ And I’m like, what the fuck? I was just trying to be nice! Do they have their knickers in a twist or something?!”

“Maybe they did! Definitely doesn’t mean they should be so rude to you though!” the colorful bun (who Hops eventually learned her name to be Melody when they were introducing themselves).

“I’m sure other buns appreciate you checking on them.” a softer, blue and gold bun chimed in on the other side (if Hops remembered right, this was Kalix). “Not all buns return the kindness you give, unfortunately.”

“Sniff, thanks, you two, you’re the best.” the pink bun said (this one was Marin, but she couldn’t help but see her as some kind of strawberry ice cream). “It just sucks, you know? I’m just here, working on my patisserie, trying to spread happiness with cakes and ice cream, and they just ruin my day!!”

So she actually makes ice cream? Hops thought while cleaning one of the wine glasses. She had to leave the bar counter to help serve drinks to the other patrons, but she would head back to her station soon after and unintentionally eavesdrop on more rude customer stories that Marin talked about while drinking. Every now and then the group of buns ordered another drink (it was mostly the ice cream bun), and it didn’t take long for there to be an unproportionate amount of empty wine glasses around that area. Meanwhile, Melody was making jokes when the opportunity arose, usually at the expense of the rude customer but not to Marin. She was really good at it, so Hops thought that she might do comedy professionally. Kalix, on the other hand, seemed like a gentle soul that was a steady presence, offering a listening ear. Truly, Hops felt that the ice cream bun lucked out tonight - things could have easily ended differently if she had sat beside buns that were just as rude or even ruder than the customers in her stories.

In the end, the three of them became fast friends, and the conversation would soon jump to other topics about their lives and hobbies and interests. Marin was happily offering them free ice cream for the trouble and claims that she serves one of the best ones in Burrowgatory (a bold claim, but Hops wasn’t really able to catch the name of the patisserie she owned). They exchanged numbers and eventually went on their way as the evening wore on, and the bartender felt thankful that she didn’t have to step in directly (though it sounded like a good idea to find out more about Marin, because getting a steady supply of ice cream flavors just sounded like something useful to experiment with for new drink combinations).

Anyway, she figured that this wasn’t going to be her last time back in the Rabbit Hole, so Hops decided to just relish the silence, at least for a few moments.

And then another bun reached their breaking point and started bawling on one of the tables. Well, no rest for the weary, it looked like.