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

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(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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[ 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.

Not many stores where I come from, also they like to ask for a lot of money for something that every man should have on the road.

[When you're travelling from town to town, the last thing you need is the desert blinding you and robbing your vision. It's much easier to simply have a hat and maybe one in your pack for in case something happens to that one.]

What kind of training? Where I come from, you teach women to shoot and maybe use a knife, but arrows? Swords?

[He's never even seen someone use a sword, because that's the sort of story that he'd been raised on, but the actual idea of a real sword? No, it seems too impossible for him to imagine. He leans over the bar and warily shakes her hand, maybe because she's spent so long talking about swords and stabbing, Vasquez is rightfully wary]

You can call me 'V', if you want, I've heard much worse. The things with the knives, the swords, is that something you could teach other people?

I think you could say that about any store that sells anything. Except for maybe electronics. As vital as a phone is these days, everything else is a luxury. But food, clothes, all that stuff? Total daylight robbery with the prices they ask.

[ Okay, not entirely his point, but Buffy gets a little fired up since what little money she has does inevitably get spent on clothes especially. She has a problem. ]

Ah, the taught by an Englishman in tweed kind of training? Giles was the best. I miss him. [ Her expression turned a little sad as she thought about her former watcher and mentor. She really did hope everyone in Sunnydale was okay. ] I don't like guns. I never got taught to use one. They are definitely all yours, quick draw.

[ She can't help but laugh a little at the expression. First she stunned him with her name, now this. She's definitely not about to hit him with the whole vampires and demons are real where I come from speech. Her grip, however, is a little stronger than expected for someone of her stature. There's a strength to Buffy that her petite frame really doesn't give away.]

Sure, if there's equipment here. I mean, given their city rules I don't really know how readily that stuff is available. Why - you wanna learn, V?

Maybe that's why I was a bandit, hmm? I felt like I didn't want to pay for food and clothes, the other stuff.

[Or he'd shot a man and couldn't show his face without having to worry about them arresting him and hanging him, but those are little details that Vasquez doesn't need to talk about with a new person, especially not the first time they met. He has no idea where Englishmen come into this, but he's come from seeing men train others, so he has an idea maybe what she means]

I could show you how to use a gun. Or a lasso.

[The learning how to use a sword and knives? He's been thinking about that since he saw the damage that Billy could manage with them and now that he has a chance, why turn it down?]

What will you charge me if I ask you to teach?

Oh, so now the truth comes out. You were a bandit. No wonder you got that whole mysterious thing working for you.

[ Buffy laughed a little, not really judging him for what he had been. Or even was. He had come from a much different time, and honestly, she had met some much worse men that did wicked things for the "greater good". ]

You know how to use a lasso? That's actually pretty cool. I wouldn't mind learning that. Guns... I'm still not sure about, but hey, I'm also now in the frame of mind of wanting to try new things, so.

[ Buffy pulled her mouth to the side and tried to come up with some kind of figure for the lessons. Finally she just gave a shake of her head, and held up a hand. ]

Let's just agree to an exchange of skills to start with. Maybe a coffee. If you still think I'm a decent enough teacher after that, then we'll figure it out. Deal?

I'm mysterious, am I?

[He doesn't think that's such a bad thing, because dangerous could also be a word that gets thrown around and he'd much rather be mysterious than dangerous. Not that he is to anyone here. He's only dangerous if someone deserves it and even though there are people here who have personalities he's not too fond of, they don't deserve a bullet.]

I do know how to use the lasso, very well. Guns are good for situations where other people have guns. You can't throw a sword at them. Well, most people can't.

[Billy Rocks? Now, he can do whatever he likes.]

So I buy you coffee, you teach me how to stab things? Is that it?

[ Buffy held her finger and thumb close together to indicate that, yeah, maybe he was a little bit mysterious. ]

I think so. You held onto your name for a while. You said you were a bandit. I mean, I get it. I'm the worst when it comes to telling people too much too soon. It's better to be like you. Leave 'em guessing for a while.

[ Maybe she's just too used to vamps and other nasties to really see him as dangerous to her. No doubt he'd be dangerous to someone else. She wasn't going to think about the precedent she'd set herself years ago for tall, dark, mysterious and dangerous. ]

Okay, then lasso it is. I'll work up to the gun. Mostly I hope I never find myself to be in the position of having to fight a gun with a gun. I was about to say "call me old fashioned" but look who I'm talking to... There's just something about a knife or a sword.

[ Buffy gave a nod. ]

Mmhmm, that's it, V. So we got a deal or do I need to spit on my hand?

People tell me that it's safe here, but you never know. No one's come looking for me, but maybe that changes. Better to be safe than sorry, si?

[After all, the last thing he needs is to be shot just because he trusted people that he barely knows. Easier to keep his guard up, just in case things go bad.]

We have a deal, but we should still shake hands. No spit needed.

[He may be old-fashioned and a cowboy, but he's not disgusting, after all. Shifting, he extends his hand to her, smiling pleasantly as he awaits for her to shake it and seal the deal, feeling pretty pleased about the whole thing.]

Si. Don't worry, I went through the same thing when I got here. Making sure there wasn't any danger lurking in dark corners. Somehow I think they're actually telling the truth. But it's an adjustment, right?

[ But she gets it. Of course she does. She spent days waiting to see if there was going to be a surge of vampires or demons or just general Big Bads.

Buffy took his hand and shook it for the second time that night, but there was something more meaningful behind this one and not just a token gesture. ]

Okay, good. Not that there's probably anything wrong with your spit but I'm totally fine being spit free. I look forward to our lessons, Vasquez.

You have no idea how much of an adjustment.

[He'd just gone through one joining up with Sam's crew, seeing as that meant no more sleeping around corpses, eating regular meals, and more like that. That had been one adjustment, now he's trying to deal with another one that is crazier than before.]

Let's try not to shoot or stab each other, then I think we can definitely have some very good lessons.

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

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