[Gift] Help Needed At The Rabbit Hole

Elio yawned as he stretched out and made his way to The Rabbit Hole. He loved coming here for drinks and had promised he’d meet up with Shibani for a few before he headed home for the night. 

He owned a bar and dungeon called Coney’s on the other side of Burrowgatory, but he’d learned all about mixing drinks and creating killer cocktails from the one and only Hops. So, he still liked to come to The Rabbit Hole for drinks on his nights off. 

Elio opened the door only to be met with a crowd of people. 

“Hell’s bells what in the world,” he exclaimed as he attempted to push himself through the crowd.

“Elio!” he heard Shibani call, glancing over to find him squished into a booth with Dan both of them nestling glasses of Smooch Hooch.

“Hey you two, demons it’s busy in here, what’s going on?” he asked as he slid in beside Shibani.

“Oh, you haven’t heard, some supermodel is apparently showing their face here tonight, that’s why I asked you out so we can gawk and take in the view,” Shibani told him with a bright smile. Dan just shook his head and sipped his drink. Not bothering to partake in the conversation.

“No…I didn’t know that, I thought it was just going to be a quiet one…then again I should have known, it’s never a quiet one,” Elio replied and sighed. Shibani just smiled sweetly at him and Elio sighed again, excusing himself so he could go grab a drink or rather, try go grab a drink. 

He squeezed his way through the crowd and eventually made it to the bar. His hands slapping on the counter as he pulled himself in between two barstools, partially knocking one heavily drunk fella.

“Hey…Hops, you okay back there?” Elio asked them as he watched Hops flit back and forth like an energizer bunny.

“Oh…hey Elio…sorry two seconds…here you go,” Hops said handing one client a drink before going to another and another and handing out drinks one after the other until they spun round to look at Elio.

Before the fiery succubun could get a word in, Hops grabbed him by the harness and pulled him close.

“Help. Me.”

Elio raised his eyebrows.

“Please, Elio, I’m short staffed and these people keep coming just, put these on and help,” Hops exclaimed and tossed Elio a bowtie and cuffs.

Elio didn’t really have a choice in the matter, so he slipped them on and went around the other side of the bar. Hops shouted thank yous as he continued to take orders and make drinks for the busy crowd of people. 

Elio got to work. 

Alongside Hops he worked hard. Took orders, made delicious cocktails and served them one after the other. 

He took money, chatted up the locals, made more drinks, served more drinks and just kept going until the current crowd was served and the next one began to pour in. 

“They just keep coming!” Elio shouted out as he shook a Dracquiri and poured into a glass, adding the strawberry to the side and sliding it over to the customer.

“Yo Elio, service my man,” came a familiar voice. He glanced over.

“Jidao?” he questioned and came to serve him.

“Hey did your place close or something, you working for Hops now?” the green succubun asked but Elio shook his head.

“No, we’re closed tonight, I’m just helping out now spit it out man, whatcha want?” he asked him and Jidao laughed.

“Jeez no need to get grouchy my main man, I’ll have aaaaaaaaaa,” Jidao started pretending to think loudly but quickly made up his mind when Elio turned to serve somebody else instead. He ordered a Hopscotch and paid before waiting patiently for Elio to shake and make his cocktail.

“Thank you Elioooooo,” Jidao cooed as he sipped the drink, making a happy noise before skipping off to the group he’d come with. 

Elio rolled his eyes at his friend and turned back to engage with other patrons of the bar. 

The night went by quickly and the bar never stopped being busy. The mystery celebrity never showed up but with the amount of alcohol that was consumed, Elio doubted anybody even remembered.

Succubuns started to trail out the door, finally clearing up space. He watched as Dan carried a snoozing Shibani out - typical behaviour for the sleep-loving succubun - and he glanced over as Jidao waved goodbye and headed out with the rest of the crowd.

Elio heard Hops sigh with relief as they finally closed the door and locked it.

“That…was the busiest night of my life,” they said with a laugh and Elio laughed too before helping the other clean up. He wiped the surfaces, swept and mopped the floor and cleared away and dirty cocktail glasses that were left on tables.

“Thank you so much Elio, I think I might have drowned in the crowd if you weren’t there,” Hops said with a laugh as the pair got ready to go.

“Don’t mention it, it was a pleasure as always,” Elio replied and went to take off the bowtie and cuffs only for Hops to shake their head.

“Keep them, they suit you, besides maybe I’ll need your assistance again some time,” they joked with a smile and headed out with Elio. They bid each other goodnight and headed home both exhausted from the busy night.