Sweet or Savory?

Andi was fascinated by the sound of the Rabbit Hole from the very moment she had set foot beyond the Church of Sulphur after being returned to Burrowgatory.

Newly matured young buns were given some time - and carats - to assist in getting their bearings while they figured out things like jobs and renting.  That was long gone by now, but since Andi had managed to find a job in a gym and they’d managed to rent an apartment, they had been doing okay - and they’d managed to save enough to try a fancy place that sounded cool.  They’d agreed on the Rabbit Hole after considering the options.

“I hope it’s worth the effort,” Kaili yawned, as they approached.  As was pretty normal for them, she was riding on Andi’s back.

“If not, we won’t waste more carats on it when we’re more settled in,” Andi reassured, as she pushed a door open.

It was a slow night, fortunately, so it was easy for them to get seats at the bar and stare around, fascinated by everything.

“Hi, I’m Hops!  What can I get you?”

Both buns looked at the gluttony bun behind the bar, and at each other, each unsure.  “What options are there…?”

Hops frowned, putting her hands on her hips and thinking.  “Well, there’s Drabsinthe, Sin and Tonic, Bourbun, Hopscotch, Angora Sour, Peach Hellini, Dracquiri, Clawdka, Shardonnay, Smooch Hooch, Keratini, Sinnamon Whiskey…  And our current seasonal menu just shifted to summer - so there’s Octognac, Swimosa, Scale Ale, and Salty Grogs too.”

The two buns considered the rather long list of options.

“Could I try the Salty Grog?” Kaili asked, immediately.

“Do…you have any suggestions…?” Andi asked.  She did not wanna have to try to think about this…

“Well, angora buns like you tend to like the angora sours,” Hops said.  “So I can make those two up for you.”

“Thank you,” Andi said, relieved.

“I haven’t seen you two in here before,” Hops said, as she mixed.  “Are you new to Burrowgatory?”

“Yeah,” Andi said.  “It’s weird to think it’s been three months now…”

“You get used to it after a few years, then it’s not such a huge timespan compared to the rest of your life,” Hops said.  “I can always tell when buns are new, though, you all have this wide-eyed look about everything new, it’s cute.”

Kaili grumbled a little at being called cute (she was the dark savior, not cute…) but she was too tired for dramatics right now.  She was happy to take a sip from her drink as soon as Hops set it in front of her.  “Oh…  That’s so salty,” she said.

Hops was about to ask if she liked it - but instead, as Kaili began sipping it quickly, she laughed.  “I guess you like it, then, good pick!”  She set the angora sour in front of Andi, and leaned back against the counter behind her.

Andi felt like it almost looked too fancy to handle.  She was hesitant to pick it up, but did, slowly, and took a sip.  It was…  Sour, yeah, but kind of… bubbly? fizzy?  It felt interesting in her mouth…  “...tasty,” she said, after a moment.

Hops clapped her hands and laughed.  “If you want to try other drinks, let me know - but if you stick to the same ones, it’s pretty common.  Lots of buns have favorites.”

Kaili and Andi looked at each other and grinned, knowing each other too well.  “I think we’ll be happy to stick to these,” Andi said.  She’d never have to think about what she wanted to drink here in the future, and Kaili would be happy to have something easy for Andi to remember so that she wouldn’t have to travel to the Rabbit Hole every time she wanted a drink.