[Gift] Mixologist Akaito

Akaito had rarely entered The Wonderland Casino. She may be a Greed-Bun, but her greed didn’t exactly latch onto money specifically… Instead it focused on the attention and devotion of other Buns willing to lavish them in it. They were beautiful after all. And so she’d never felt the need to step inside the walls of this place.. Until now.

Even now it wasn’t for the normal attractions. No, she was here for Hops. She knew the bartender was someone Keay visited frequently on dour nights.. But she also knew that most buns whom had visited the little pink bartender that frequently had already come down with some strange accents, like fire or water or sharp biting fangs. Keay however had not. So something was afoot, and she’d repay his - albeit absent - attention with a “kindness” of her own.

So she burst through the door to the Casino’s bar - The Rabbit Hole - and marched herself right up to the counter, slamming her hands down on the table. “You’re going to teach me how to make your Sinnamon Whiskey.” She stared directly into Hops’ soul as she made her demand. 

“There are plenty of guides on how to make a Sinna-”

“Not any Sinnamon Whiskey.. You’re Sinnamon Whiskey.” Akaito’s eyes narrowed, hands balling into fists on the counter top. “The one that lights people on fire, lady.” Her words were pointed, sharp enough to cut.

Hops simply blinked, and Akaito wasn’t sure she was going to respond for a moment. When she finally did it was with a sigh, “You’re not going to leave until I do, are you.”

“Absolutely fucking not.” The albino Greed-Bun adamantly replied. 

“Alright then. Usually I only do a lesson when I’m short on cash but.. If you’re willing to work off the payment and pay for the drinks I teach you to make instead, well.. I guess it would help my debt..” She thought to herself a moment longer before vanishing through a doorway with a curt, “Wait right there.” 

Akaito knew Hops was probably just going to make sure Angora would allow the lesson; but it still left her antsy, hands tingling. Tapping her hooves impatiently, she nearly startled when Hops returned. “Alright, Angora is going to put your hours working with me as the minimum wage in Burrowgatory, so you’ll be working a full shift with me before I teach you the Sinnamon Whiskey.” 

Akaito rolled her eyes but nodded in agreement, it only seemed fair.

Those first eight hours were… interesting to say the least. At first Hops only had her taking orders and watching as the bartender made the drinks. The amount of times she saw the pink bun dump something casually out of her cuff into the drink was fascinating. And eventually after she’d picked up the basic recipes through observation, Hops left her on her own. Some patrons adored her, either because her little manipulations and fluttering eyelashes kept them there or because the sudden flips to cutting remarks and call outs made her interesting. Either way she felt no remorse for scaring off the occasional Succubun and reveled in the attention of those who didn’t run away. In fact, she was rather proud of how high her tip jar had gotten.

When the bar was closing, she was about to reach for that jar when Hops snatched it away from her. “Lets see… 735 carats..” It looked like the bartender was going to try and do the calculations in her head before she giggled and reached for a calculator. Go figure she couldn’t right now, Akaito had seen how many drinks she’d downed during just the eight hours she had been there.. Lucky for Hops the hours Akaito had worked would probably counteract at least that. “That means you get 183 carats for the day!” Hops happily chirped about to hand them over. “Oh wait.. I told you you’d have to pay for the Sinnamon Whiskey we’re about to make… Um.” She cocked her head and tapped her lips with her finger. “So that’s 33 carats of take home wages for your work!” 

“How does that work!!” Akaito demanded. 

“Oh, Angora always takes half of the tips towards my debts!” Hops smiled cheerfully, which only caused Akaito to blink in horror. The owner of the casino really was a hard woman wasn’t she? “Now about that lesson!” 

Akaito took out her phone and shot a text to Keay: 

Hey get ur ass to rabbit hole ill see you there in a few

Isn’t it closing time? 

Wait hold up, Akaito, you’re not much a drinker.

What budges? 

She almost wasn’t going to deign him with an answer, but then his next text came through: 

If you don’t tell me what’s up I’m not coming. 

Fiiiiiiiiine

Getting a lesson from the bartender n need a taste tester

Who better than a regular i trust huh

Be there in a few. 

She grinned and shoved the phone away again, returning her attention to Hops. 

“You’ve already learned the basics of the Sinnamon Whiskey so I’m not going to explain that to you again.” Hops said spinning to grab the ingredients and nearly tripping over her own platforms. “But there is one thing that you didn’t learn. This!” She cheerfully pulled a small pouch out of one of her cuffs. “How it’s made is my little secret.~ Buuuuut, I’ll give you one pouch for now and one for later! So go ahead and dump that in and shake it up before pouring it into the liquor glass.”

Akaito followed the instructions, and as the last of the liquid left the shaker, the door to the bar creaked open slowly. “Is.. anyone here?” Keay’s voice was tentative but not shy.

“We’re cl-” Hops began to say before the younger Succubun cut her off.

“In here, Keay. This one’s for you!” Akaito grinned at him from behind the bar and nudged the glass toward him, setting it on fire. In the low light of the bar, Keay’s blue eyes were wide.. This time it would be different, and he knew it.