cuddlecity | (open) i'm the demon alcohol, let's party

Entry tags:

(open) i'm the demon alcohol, let's party

CHARACTERS: Buffy Summers & YOU!
LOCATIONS: The Deviant
WARNINGS: None yet
SUMMARY: Buffy has begun her new job under Faith's employ (so many jokes to be had), so let her fail to mix your drink and listen to your woes. She really will listen and not just talk at you, promise.

[ Was it ironic? Buffy was still mulling that one over even as she turned up for a night of work in Faith's club. Faith was the boss. Faith was giving her orders. Faith was somehow older and wiser and Buffy was the junior here. The world had turned upside down and inside out, and Buffy had come through a rabbit hole where she was still alive and Faith was now in charge of her paycheck.

But hey, no Hellmouth. No graveyards. No patrolling. No having to pull double duty as Buffy and the Slayer. She could just be Buffy. And right now that meant that Buffy was behind the bar, giving herself a crash course in serving things other than beer and whiskey. The shots were easy. She could wrap her head around the shots. Especially when patrons were already too drunk to notice that she might have poured them the wrong spirit.

Cocktails were presenting an entirely different set of problems though. And this was not something she could fight her way out of, or use Mr. Pointy on. She stopped long enough to pull her hair back into a ponytail and wiped up her latest spill before going back to the cards she had stashed behind the bar to read through for a third time how to make a Cosmo.

Somehow she pictured all the alcohol she was using up as coming out of her CuddleBucks when Faith discovered she was testing out drinks in between serving the paying customers. ]

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[ Buffy's smile was a lot less tense than his as she looked up. Some people might have complained about the whistle, but honestly? At least she could hear it over the music. Music that wasn't even from her let alone some of the other patrons.

That was another thing she was learning about Cadelle. There was all sorts of people from all sorts of times and places. It might have been weird had she not already dealt with dimensions and timelines and magical whackiness. After all, Willow had a vampire twin from another dimension. It didn't get weirder than that.

There was also relief on Buffy's face as the man ordered tequila and she held up a finger before running her other hand over the face of some of the bottles behind the bar and finding the one she wanted. ]

Tequila I can do! And yes, it's good. Totally lives up to the whole one tequila, two tequila, three tequila floor scenario.

[ She set down a glass in front of him and poured the shot - and she did actually come across competent with the tequila. Her eyebrows went up a little as she watched him, waiting to see if he did think the tequila was any good, but then her gaze shifted a little and the smile grew. ]

Oh hey, cool hat.

[ He watches carefully to make sure that she's not going to pry a bottle of poison or something worse (like rotgut whiskey) from behind the bar, his careful eye watching her go to unfamiliar bottles with strange labels that he's never seen before, but it looks like tequila when she pours it, so maybe they're going in the right direction. ]

I've never heard that before. Why would three tequilas involve the floor?

[ In his extremely experienced life, it takes a lot more than three tequilas before you start sliding your way down there. It's usually around six that Vasquez starts getting acquainted with horizontal surfaces. ]

Not many people seem to wear them here.

[ Gesturing to the bar around him, he pointedly gestures to all the men without them, which is right for inside, but they haven't even set them aside like he has. ]

[ Buffy pulled her mouth to the side as she considered whether or not she actually knew the origin of the three tequila thing. ]

You know what? I really don't know. It's just this saying that seems to go around. Probably applies more to people that can't handle their liquor. But you, I assume, can handle your liquor.

[ And if he couldn't, well, at least she had the strength to carry him despite looking like she probably couldn't carry more than a case of beer at a time.

She followed his finger and his gaze before offering up a slightly apologetic look. ]

You can thank baseball caps for that. At least I'm pretty sure. Seemed to kill the whole hat thing. Only cowboys living in Texas still seem to make it okay to wear hats like yours. I mean, I think they look good on the right guy. And I like hats. It's just trying to find the right one.

I can handle it right up until I can't.

[ Which usually involves him unable to control his laughter, making filthier jokes than usual, and finding all sorts of trouble. Given how little he'd had the chance to get overwhelmingly drunk, he's taking advantage now that he can and doesn't have to worry about waking up dead, so much]

Texas? Texas is still around?

[ He doesn't know why that annoys him so much, but it does. Fucking Texas, taking away his land and then having the cojones to actually still be something that could be here, even a hundred and some years into the future. ]

I'm not from Texas. Just so we're clear.

Gotcha. I will keep on serving you right up until you can't.

[ She was slowly getting to know some people's tells for when they'd had enough. At least no one had been too rowdy in the club, and it helped that she didn't have to keep looking out for vampires. Although she was sure some of the patrons could have given her a run for her money if they really wanted to start something.

She blinked, and grabbed the bottle ready to pour another shot just in case the news that Texas was still around warranted it. ]

Yeah, sorry. Still big, still there. Didn't mean to burst your bubble or anything. I can never bring it up again.

[ She held up one hand as if in surrender before pointing at herself. ]

Not from Texas either, just so that's clear too. Californian born and raised. If that was even around where you were. Because I'm taking it that besides the lack of hats and the expectation that, ah, You Know Where didn't make the state cut... maybe a few things have changed.

I was in California before I was here. Not for very long, but I was. Didn't get to see much of it, though.

[ He'd seen the inside of a cabin on the border, but still, better than Texas when he kept being pushed off the land that his family rightfully owned just because some asshole Texans wandered in and claimed it as theirs. Same as California, same as so many of their properties. but it sounds like it didn't change over the years. ]

Where I'm from, men wear hats. It doesn't matter where you come from, if you're Mexican, Blue, Grey, Irish, or something else. It's polite, having a hat.

I can't really tell you what the place was like back then, but I'm guessing the place is a lot different. I mean, there's the beaches. Hollywood. Los Angeles. Disneyland... none of which means anything to you, but they're fun. To me anyway. Although Hollywood is a bit hit and miss. The landscape's probably the same. Other than all the buildings, obviously.

[ She really could only imagine what it was like where he'd come from. She'd seen what it was like for the first slayer, but that was even farther back. Definitely no buildings of any type then. ]

What about the women? Because I kinda want to try your hat on, but I understand if that's too forward, or rude. Maybe you can bring hats back into fashion here. I wouldn't complain.

[ He doesn't know any of the names, other than Los Angeles, which he hasn't been to. It's too far, too dangerous in case he gets stuck, though it would have been nice to ride south and hit Mexico again, as if there was something waiting for him there. ]

Women can also wear hats if they want, but not as often as men. I knew someone, a woman, who liked to wear hats when she rode with us.

[ And men without, though he doesn't think Red is any indication of normal people, truthfully. ]

[ To be honest, it's probably Disneyland that might take the longest to explain. Hollywood's pretty straightforward. And it wasn't as if she was all that familiar with Mexico. She was sure he could tell her a thing or two. ]

And am I allowed to ask who "us" is? I'm Buffy, by the way.

[ She paused to grab a couple of beers for some waiting patrons, much more adept at handling a bottle opener than a cocktail shaker. ]

You're what now?

[ He's heard some strange names in his time, but 'Buffy'? It sounds more like something he might call a horse or an animal, but not a person, and especially not a pretty woman. Still, if that's her name, Vasquez can only make a face and move on. ]

Us was the group I picked up, before here. I got a job offer, it seemed too good to pass up.

[ Impossible to pass up, too, if he wanted to keep his head. He doesn't sip his tequila so much as finish it, so when she's done with the other customers, it's empty again. ]

Why did your parents give you such a strange name?

[ Honestly, she was used to that kind of reaction so she just held her hands up like she was surrendering since she honestly hadn't chosen her name. ]

Buffy. Seriously, it's okay. Take a moment.

[ Her smile is back soon enough, because it is genuinely all her parents' fault. Her absentee father could agree to a name like "Buffy" but clearly hadn't wanted to stick around to see how she turned out. At least her mom had been there for most of it. ]

Gotcha. And hey, totally fair. You should never pass up something like that. Well, unless there's genuine strings attached. Hopefully there wasn't.

[ She grabbed the bottle of tequila after taking the hint, and gave him a refill. ]

You know what? I wish I really knew. My mom seemed to have been going through some weird hippy - ah... Earth-loving, tree-hugging, everything needs to be peace and love? - phase. But I'll never get it since she worked with art and antiquities, so surely she would have given me a more classic name, or something with meaning. But I guess it's unique, and you can't really claim to have met another Buffy before.

I think I need more than a moment because of Buffy.

[ He doesn't say it, but to him, it sounds a little like a dog or maybe it's just the noise the dog makes? Either way, it's not a name for a human being, in his opinion. ]

Offer was the best one in a bad time. Trust me, not saying yes would have been a worse idea.

[ He still doesn't know how Sam had found him. He'd meant to ask once they'd cleared Rose Creek, but he had come here instead, which leaves Vasquez worried and wondering how his hiding place could have been so badly compromised. ]

People I know have normal names. Mostly. I did just come from meeting a man named Goodnight, so maybe strange names aren't only for people like you. That, or he has been lying a very long time about what he's called.

Take all the time you need. I've had my life to come to terms with it.

[ Her eyebrows knitted together for a moment as she considered what "worse" might have been. ]

That really doesn't sound too promising. I'm just assuming that maybe it was a life or death situation.

[ Buffy was beginning to realise that her name really was a sticking point. But she had to smile at knowing there had been a man known as Goodnight. ]

Well, thanks, I'll take it as a slight compliment. If it will put you at ease I challenge you to find me a better name. I'll even pay for three shots out of my paycheck. I can't promise I'll use the name all the time, but I'll let you call me it.

It was definitely a life or death situation a few times over.

[For the most part, it was the latter, at the hand of his guns, but when you're doing it to protect your own life and save a town, Vasquez can sleep well at night without any guilt. He hadn't been paid up front to save the village, nor to kill innocents. He's never killed an innocent in his life, doesn't plan to start now. ]

Too easy a challenge. I already have a better name.

[He means it too, but the mischievous and daring glint in his eye is coaxing her to ask, while he plays with his glass, sipping the drink and gesturing for her to ask. ]

Go on, you want to.

Had those before. Not like yours. I'm not going to pretend I know what it was like for you. I'm just sorry you had to be in that position.

[ Buffy's entire existence was life or death. When you get chosen to be the slayer, every night is a battle. Patrolling, Hellmouth, apocalypses. When she arrived here, it wa even the second time she'd died. But at least this one was on her terms, saving her friends and family.

She gave him a wary look. No way he had already been thinking about replacement names for her. She also didn't like how pleased he was with his pick. ]

Am I actually going to like it? Okay, hit me. What is it?

[It's not very inventive, not very good at all, but he's also not drunk enough that it's crude, so he thinks that he's going to take this as a win and go with that as an in-between]

Bee. It's very simple, it's close enough to the real thing, and easy to say. You like it?

[He's leaning his whole body forward in his seat, like he's determined and eager to hear what she actually thinks of the simplistic, absolutely terrible nickname, but then, his best nicknames in the past had just been borderline Spanish insults and he's not sure she'd appreciate that as much as others might]

[ His expression tugged at her, and Buffy really didn't want to burst his bubble that he wasn't the first to think of it. Faith had that honour, but she also said it in a way where you knew it was just the first letter; 'B'.

The way the cowboy said it she knew it was a little longer. And she liked his accent. Buffy picked up the bottle of tequila and topped up his glass, making him stew just for a tiny bit before she gave him a wide grin. ] Yeah, I like it. Simple isn't always a bad thing. I definitely need more of it in my life.

[ The bottle was set down, and she leaned on the bar herself, arms folded as she tilted her head. ] So that's three shots on me, don't drink them two quickly. I don't want you hitting the floor just yet.

[Vasquez lights up when the tequila starts to flow again, seeing as he's very happy that his little burst of not-so-wonderful creativity, saluting her with a mumble and the lift of his glass, though he does have to wait a little until she relents and gives in to him. The women here, he's finding, are very spirited, keep him on his toes. Vasquez very much likes that, makes him never know what to expect next.]

I can handle much more than a few shots, promise. I would never dirty your floor so quickly.

[Even though he can handle them, he does look around like he's searching for something, because drinking is fine and all, but he's grown to like having something to eat at the same time as he works at a bottle.]

Do you have something to eat here?

[ Buffy laughed at his reassurance before she tapped her fingertip against his hat. ] Does that mean I get to try this on now? Promise I won't put it out of shape.

[ If anything, she's pretty sure it might be a little big on her, but come on, it's a real cowboy hat! Not those straw ones that were so popular once upon a time, or some cheap souvenir one made of flocked plastic. ]

Ah, I think so. Depends what you wanna class as food though. I mean, we have bar snacks.

[ Buffy ducked down behind the bar and pulled out a clean bowl before she turned to hunt down the good peanuts. The ones that were usually scattered on the bar for anyone were fine, but she liked Vasquez and she'd just add it to what she would owe Faith for the tequila. ]

So there's these, then you got burgers, fries, potato skins, wings... That kinda thing. The kinda food people usually eat when they drink. Well, modern people. Just tell me what you wanna try and I'll get your order in. That's easy.

[ She did a stint as a waitress when she tried to run away from home. It didn't necessarily help her as a bar tender until someone wanted food. And at least here she could use her own name. Apart from when Vasquez wanted to call her 'Bee'. ]

Edited (finished checking with faith's player about food sorry!) 2017-09-24 03:27 (UTC)

[He shouldn't be so willing to let someone else put on his hat, but a beautiful woman with a good smile is asking him? He's not that strong. He gestures to it with a flicker of his fingers.]

Don't make it dirty, don't ruin it, you can try it on. Then, you can find me some bar snacks.

[Which are there, mercifully quickly, and he's already popping peanuts into his mouth as he thinks of what he wants to eat. He's been introduced to some of these things and has learned that no matter what, his hungry stomach will encourage him to try as much as possible.]

Put on my hat, B, then you choose what I should be eating. I promise, I can put away very much, you don't have to worry about me. And, I'm not picky when it comes to food.

[ Buffy gave him a little salute and even made the "cross my heart" gesture against her chest - realising after that he probably had no idea what it meant. ]

I promise, no making it dirty, ruining it, or letting anything happen.

[ Her face lit up to unbelievable levels of excitement as she carefully took the hat from the bar and put it on. As predicted it was a bit too big, but she didn't care. She angled it so that she could still see and gave a little spin before looking back at Vasquez. ]

How do I look, cowboy? And hey, now you are definitely talking my language. We should definitely eat together some time.

[ Buffy grabbed a couple of beers for waiting customers before she picked up the menu she had behind the bar and started to make her choices for the cowboy. She gave the order to the kitchen and came back still looking pretty happy about the hat and his imminent feast. ]

Nachos, bacon cheeseburger with onion rings, and buffalo wings. That should definitely tide you over for a bit.

I would be very unhappy if you did. They don't have hats the way I like, here.

[Not that his is clean and immaculate, seeing as it's been a plenty historied hat, cleaned up, but lasting battles, hiding, and being on the run. It probably shouldn't be worn very long, but she seems very keen to put it on and he's more than happy to watch.]

You look very nice, very dangerous.

[Easy to give compliments to someone so pretty and willing to feed him, which is making him sit up a little straighter, running his fingers through his hair (which is getting long enough to curl at the nape of his neck, in need of a cut).]

I don't know any of those things, but they all sound very good. You're going to have some with me, yes?

I'm assuming you can't make them, because that would have been a good business here. I'm pretty sure you'd have had plenty of customers.

[ Guns weren't really her thing, but she mimed having some anyway and then ruined her dangerous look by laughing. As much as she did like his hat she knew she had to give it back. Buffy set it back down in the counter next to him, and ran her own fingers through her ponytail to straighten it just a little. ]

Thanks, I appreciate you letting me try it. Pretty sure I'd have nothing on you in a gun fight though. I'm more hand to hand and pointy objects.

[ Buffy checked her watch, and gave a nod. Taking her break which was due anyway with a handsome cowboy was a no brainer. She could definitely keep listening to the accent. She held up a hand for him to wait and grabbed herself some water before joining him on the other side of the bar. ]

Trust me, you'll like them. And hey, are you ever going to tell me your name since you gifted me a new one.

Never had to make a hat in my life. Either you keep one or you find someone else who has one that you like, then you take it.

[Maybe he won't mention that usually you shoot them before you take it, because this seems like a perfectly nice bar and Buffy seems like a nice girl, but it's true. When someone is bleeding and has new holes in them, they can't lay claim to their clothes anymore.]

Pointy objects? Knives? I know someone very good with knives.

[They're not something Vasquez would ever try more than as a last-minute scenario, but watching Billy work had always been a fine thing for him. When she asks his name, he thinks that yes, he trusts her enough to offer that, especially since she's going to be giving him some food]

I'm Vasquez. My name, it's Vasquez.

It was just a suggestion. This place does seem to have a lot of surprises. Stealing hats though, that's pretty bad ass. Much better story behind it than just going to a store.

[ She was looking at him, trying to figure out if she really wanted to keep asking how someone managed to just take a hat. She was also wishing she had paid much more attention when Xander watched Westerns. ]

Knives, swords, stakes, arrows. Pointy objects of all shapes and sizes. Same with the manager here. Faith. We trained together.

[ For a little while. Then they tried to kill each other. Buffy's smile was a little tight, but only because she and Faith really were still trying to feel each other out. It was nice though, not having the murderous Faith here. Maybe they really could be friends.

Buffy held out her hand, her smile growing once more. ]

Nice to meet you officially, Vasquez. I assume you won't let me get away with calling you V though, right? Nothing wrong with your name.

(open) i'm the demon alcohol, let's party

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