fourstrings | When the world is too dark

When the world is too dark

[ The Evergreen has a strong no-assholes policy. This is undermined somewhat by the fact that Nick basically runs it now, but it means he can use himself as a gauge. If anyone’s a bigger asshole than he is, they get kicked out.

Steve is the kind of asshole who should have been kicked out way earlier. That’s on Nick. He was over-cautious, cut the guy too much of a break, because running this bar is the only thing that has him making enough cash to keep up with his responsibilities. He’d worried that word would get around that The Evergreen wasn’t a friendly place anymore, and he’d ruin the reputation Al had carefully built up for it over the years, drive customers away. And it’s not just because Al’s basically promised him the place and it’s his future he’s gambling on, but respect for Al. He built Nick sure as he built up this bar, and the very least Nick can do in return is not tank it. And in fairness, Steve had started slow: the kind of coarse jokes that are mean instead of funny, taking sly digs at people. Way too much flirting with women beyond the point it became clear that they didn’t want to be flirted with, at least not by Steve. Nick finally found his balls the night he’d rounded the corner to check there was enough paper in the johns and seen Steve caging a girl in against the wall, face leaning in even though hers was twisted adamantly away. He’d grabbed the man by collar and belt with no regard for the fact that Steve had a good three inches and 20 pounds on him, marched him out the door, and told him not to come back, ever.

Which means that Steve is now going on the Wall of Shame, and he’d been such a dick about it Nick wants to make it a special occasion. There’s a little florist across the street that’s probably gonna close down any day now, judging by the amount of foot traffic they get, so before opening the next day Nick heads over to give them a little last bit of support. There’s a little bell that rings cutely as he pushes the door open, a blast of welcome cool, fragrant air, and… the most beautiful man he’s ever laid eyes on behind the counter. Blond hair in one of those trendy cuts that look goofy on most people that aren’t pop stars but somehow suits him just right, big eyes shaded with long lashes, a sweet little beauty mark.

Nick stops dead just inside the door, confident that if he takes one more step without preparation he’s gonna trip over his own feet. ]

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[ Fuck! Critical hit! Nick likes taking care of people, and this guy gives in with remarkable ease and a gorgeous smile. Also, if he's honest, he's always had a bit of a thing for those baby-of-the-family vibes, and Vash is marinating in them. He sighs, catches himself, and straightens. ]

You trust me, huh? Mind if I freestyle this one?

Sure! [ it should be a little terrifying when a bartender you've only known for a few hours wants to freestyle you a drink. unfortunately, nai totally sucked up all of the common sense and survival instincts, so vash is just leaning forward, curious. ] Show me what you've got, Mr. Bartender Priest.

[ Alright! Elderflower's a given, for the floral connection. Vodka to give it a little oomph, but not too much. Honey simple, because everything about Vash screams sweet but with a little more complexity than a straight sugar simple. Some grapefruit to add interest and cut the aggressive sweetness of the liqueur and the honey. He cracks ice into a shaker with a few deft hits from a barspoon and can't resist putting a little finesse on it as he pours in the ingredients, flipping and spinning bottles. The Evergreen is usually a no-flair establishment, but Vash did ask Nick to show him what he's got. He shakes until he can feel the shaker frosting up, pours it into an ice-filled highball, tops it with club soda and twists some grapefruit peel into an elegant little curl for a garnish. And then he slides it to Vash without even a moment to second-guess himself and hope that "sweet boy likes sweet drinks" isn't as much of a misguided stereotype as "florist is a vegetarian". ]

A special, one-of-a-kind drink for a one-of-a-kind guy.

[ whoooaaa! it actually seems crazy that this guy had been so enthusiastic about vash being able to throw some flowers together for him when he's the one who can do... this! it's almost like watching someone do a magic trick, or like a gunslinger spinning their pistol around their finger just to remind you how cool they are.

and vash is leaning forward, eyes wide and bright with interest, into it.

getting the drink is almost the most disappointing part, because it means the show's over. but now vash is flattening himself to the bartop to look at it, curious as a cat. ] Whoa, seriously? You just made this up?

That's so cool.

Might wanna save your praise until you've tried it. First one I've ever made. Could taste like ass and I wouldn't know.

[ This is... a slight exaggeration. Partly because he knows the flavours he's used will be harmonious, and partly because he's confident that anything using Vash as inspiration has gotta be good. ]

No way! Nothing that looks that cool when you make it can taste bad. Pretty sure it's a rule.

[ and he was serious when he said he trusted wolfwood's expertise.

there's... only one problem. mainly, that vash is stupidly desperate to look cool in front of this guy, and most of his knowledge of drinking comes from watching tough guys in movies. so, uh. that means you're supposed to drink the whole thing in one go, right? that's what a Very Cool Person would do?

sure, okay, vash can do that.

which is why he proceeds to take a drink that is absolutely not a shot and slam it like it is one. and... wow, okay, it is good, even if he has to put some effort into not coughing and squinting like a lame-o. slightly choked, but with a thumbs up: ] Five stars!

I-

[ Nope, he's too late. By the time he's realized what Vash is doing it's done, which... is kind of impressive, considering a) the amount of liquid in the glass, and b) teh fact that the glass is filled with ice and Vash somehow didn't shower himself with it. His eyebrows go up of their own accord, and then he grins. ]

That trip across the road was rough, huh?

[ wow. this stuff kinda goes right to your head, huh? but in a good way! there's a fuzzy kind of warmth spilling through every inch of him, and even the faintly dizzy feeling is kinda... nice.

obviously, this is all because wolfwood is a great bartender. ]

Tried to warn you! The horrors I faced would chill the heart of any mortal man.

[ mainly, it was yelling at legato to go home, already! and getting the stank eye in return. ]

In that case, I'm happy I could help out. Word to the wise, though - if you ever feel like having me make you another one, I pictured it as more of a sipper.

[ He should have put a straw in it as a cue. Still! The night is young and his peacocking seems to have been at least moderately successful! ]

Let's get you something to eat, huh?

[ oh. oh. augh! mission: be very cool has experienced it's first setback. ]

Sorry! [ this is where a normal person would admit defeat, fess up to the fact that they don't have a ton of know-how when it comes to alcohol. vash is not a normal person. ] It was, uh, so good that I got a little carried away!

[ wriggling a little. ] If you wanna make me another one, I promise to savor it properly!

Edited 2023-03-01 08:25 (UTC)

You're full of shit.

[ But he's smiling as he says it, and his voice is soft and fond. Vash is a goof, and even when he's trying to cover his ass he dresses it up as a compliment. It's... really refreshing, in world where most people caught in a mistake go on the aggressive and try to turn it around on whoever caught them out. He holds up a finger, says I'll be right back, jogs down to the kitchen for a second - and then right back, just like he said. ]

Ordered you a burger. With extra fries, so I can steal 'em.

[ But Vash sounded open to the idea of another drink, so Nick starts building another - a little lighter on both the vodka and the showmanship, this time. ]

So what got you into floristry? Always been a plant guy?

[ oh. huh. someone ordering you a burger is a very goofy thing to get all twitterpated over, but. it feels like being cared about, and vash's heart responds by doing a bunch of stupid tapdancing in his chest.

it doesn't count as sexually harassing a customer if the customer part is already over, right? so if vash wanted to just lean over the bar, grab wolfwood by the face, and --

distracted by the line of questions, thank god. ]

Ehehe, kinda, I guess. I'm not really that good at anything, but I've always been able to get stuff to grow. Aaaand... [ he just figured out the stool spins. whee! ] I figured that getting to share flowers with people was a pretty cool job, right?

It is. Suits you. Bringing joy into people's days, filling it with meaning.

[ Maybe there's not a lot of meaning to the way he spins on the stool, but it's definitely filling Nick with joy. And it's a good sign that Vash's tolerance isn't as low as he originally suspected, so he slides over the fresh drink. With a straw in it, this time. ]

Never seen anyone do it like you before, though. Growing your flowers on-site. Makes it more special, but it's gotta limit your output. I hope you're better at charging most of your customers than you were with me.

[ that is... agh?! the way the guy says it is so fond, like vash has dedicated his life to washing ducklings off after oil spills instead of something as mundane as running a flower shop, and. yeah, it makes him all fluttery inside.

which is why there's just a second of staring, mouth slightly open, before wolfwood passes over the drink and snaps him out of it.

but then! ] ... wooow. You've really got, like, a business brain, huh?

[ maybe he needs to start asking for tips. business 101. ]

I know shipping 'em in would be easier, and I could knock more out, buuut... it kinda feels better, being somewhere with a bunch of happy, living things, instead of things just waiting to wilt.

It didn't come natural, believe me. Had to grow one if I wanted to pay back the cost of sending me to seminary just to have me throw in the cassock.

[ But he nods along. It's funny - he thinks of the Evergreen as a little family, everyone there looking out for each other, taking care of one another. Seeds had felt like that too, even though Vash was the only person there. Just radiating enough care for his plants for a full staff, Nick guesses. ]

I get that. You take good care of your plants, and they take care of you with flowers to sell. Do you ever just sell plants? I could put the word out. Not a lot of people around here have the cash for something that'll only last a few days, but they'd be a lot more open to something that'd last years with the right care.

[ vash blinks. ]

Wha —? Really, you think that’d work?

[ he’d have a shift a little, obviously. propagate more cuttings from the plants he has, make sure he could replace whatever he sells, but. ]

That’s a great idea! [ and suddenly, he lunges, nearly falling off the stool as he launches himself halfway across the bar to grab both of wolfwood’s hands in his own. he’s beaming, and it’s way too easy to imagine that there’s a puppy-dog tail doing some serious wagging. ] Thank you, seriously! You’re my hero!

[ Nick's grinning too, just charmed by how enthusiastic Vash seems (and the fact that they're holding hands now), so it's a few long seconds of two idiots beaming at each other before Nick realizes one of those hands feels... different.

He glances down. Yup, one of the hands is the one he tried to do a little priestly flirting with, and the other appears to be a prosthetic. A pretty cool prosthetic, obviously technologically advanced from the way it's wrapped around his hand just like the other one has.

Christ, was he really so hypnotized by Vash having a cute face and demeanour that he didn't notice a whole artificial hand? The realization just makes him huff a laugh, and he squeezes both of Vash's hands before he looks up again and grins at him. ]

I'd tell you to save the thanks until you know if it's gonna work out, but I'm enjoying it too much.

[ the back room of the shop is mostly still crowded with a bunch of clutter from the last guy who rented it out -- and when vash had asked about it, the landlord had given him a look that made it obvious it was vash's problem now -- but! if he clears it out, gets some proper lighting and equipment, it probably wouldn't be too hard to turn it into a little greenhouse...!

and he's so caught up in trying to plan it out that it takes him a second to notice that wolfwood's eyes have dropped. but, ah. vash realizes in the next second that he's gone and grabbed his hand with the prosthetic, and something knots up in his chest. it's not that vash is embarrassed about it, not exactly, it is what it is. but some people have a weird reaction to it -- they get weirded out, or a little too curious about it -- and plenty of people flinch away from contact with it like missing a limb is a disease that's catching.

so he's squirming, already (gently) tugging his hands away and plopping back in his seat before wolfwood looks back up at him. and he grins back obligingly, even though there's a little less wattage than before. ]

Nah, I know a great idea when I hear one. [ tipping his head to one side with a little ehehe. ] I'll remember you fondly once I'm a millionaire.

[ Aw, fuck. Spell broken. He should have known better; it's not like he doesn't know anyone missing a limb, or that people can be sensitive about it. All he can hope is that he hasn't tanked this with his curiosity. He really likes Vash, and even if Vash isn't interested in pursuing anything with him, it'd be really cool to have him come by the orphanage sometime. Get him to talk to some of the kids who think of their differences as a lack, show them how you can still absolutely be happy and cool when you're built a little different to everyone else.

He gets the feeling he's going to need to rebuild a little trust before bringing that up, though, so he drops the thought, folds his hands back on the bar, and makes his best affronted face. ]

Remember? Ohhh, I get it. You're gonna be too cool for me and my little dive bar once you're rolling in it, huh?

[ waving a hand! ]

Won't even be able to come in here once I'm a world-famous millionaire plant guy. All my fans would mob the place, and then you'd make me a funeral wreath.

[ which is why he better enjoy the place while he can! ducking down, actually using the straw this time when he takes a sip. aaand... there's a moment where he's considering, then he brightens up all over again. ] Oh, hey! It kinda tastes a little like flowers!

[ which should be gross, right? but it kinda works! there's just a faint note of something that reminds him of the way the shop always smells when he's first opening up, made sweeter on his tongue by whatever else is in here. ]

St Germain. It's elderflower liqueur. There's honey, too. I thought it would suit you.

[ He squashes the urge to say because you're so sweet, but he can feel the goofy smile on his face doing the work for him. Hey, he's proud of his work, and Vash seems to like it, so that's a win! ]

Maybe I'll have to upgrade the bar. Make it really high-end, get a velvet rope out there to -

[ But he's interrupted by Lena emerging from the kitchen (which she seldom does) to deliver Vash his meal with a bright smile and a this must be for you, enjoy! which is uncharacteristically good customer service, apart from the fact that she unsubtly gives Vash the once-over and then mouths nice to Nick and gives him a little okay signal with her hand. Christ. ]

[ hmm, why honey? vash is squinting at the drink, taking a second to try and solve the puzzle. obviously the elderflower-whatcha-call-it is because of the florist thing, so... oh! because of bees! because bees do stuff for flowers!

proud of himself for cracking the case.

but he's distracted by the arrival of food. and even though he'd protested the idea of a free meal, the sight of it is good enough to kill any and all resistance. it's the kind of burger you know you're gonna struggle to even get your jaw around, packed with stuff that's inevitably going to end up trying to escape the bun and down your forearms. and there's a pile of fries next to it, hot and golden and obviously fresh, filling up the air with one of the best smells known to man.

he's so busy woooow-ing over it to show his appreciation that he totally misses the fact that he's being given the once-over. ] Man, your place is awesome. The bars I used to go to in college just stuck frozen stuff in the microwave.

You can thank Lena. She used to be a regular, and then she told me the food was shit and I needed to hire her to do the menu. Best advice I ever - oh, there she goes.

[ And Lena is indeed retreating to the kitchen, but not without giving Vash a little wave on the way. Lena is the best thing that ever happened to this place, making food good enough that people eat it before they get so drunk they decide they better put something in their stomachs. She's also a terror about trying to get Nick laid whenever she thinks he's being excessively grumpy, which is almost never successful and mostly serves as a signal to Nick to get himself straightened out. ]

Don't know what I'd do without her. All the staff, really. They're good people. Gives the place a family feeling, you know?

[ waving back! vash isn't sure what wolfwood is paying her, but he almost definitely needs to up it. pretty sure this burger is proof of the existence of the divine.

and listen, he's only one and a half drinks down, but he also has the alcohol tolerance of a feather. which is the only excuse for what comes out of his mouth. ] S'cute! The way you talk about them. You're cute. I --

[ cut off, abruptly, when someone crowds into the stool next to him, attention promptly jerked away. especially because the guy is putting an arm on the bar and leaning into his space. ]

'Sup, Wolfwood? [ not even looking at him. ] Why don't you make this cutie a refill? Anything he wants, on me.

[ ... which turns out to be an absolutely crash-and-burn attempt, because vash just turns right back to wolfwood, lit up and sparkling all over again. ] Your name is Wolfwood? Your real name? That's so cool! That's like the coolest name I've ever heard!

[ The dark look Nick gives this guy for interrupting Vash calling him cute only gets darker when it becomes apparent that he's taking a crack at Vash. Which... bounces right off, apparently, and Nick shakes his head in mock-sympathy. ]

Sorry, Romeo. Blondie's already drinking for free.

[ Which is as much attention as he gets before Nick turns back to Vash and hikes a thumb at the little chalkboard sign behind him, which says Duty Manager: Father Nicholas D. Wolfwood in the assistant manager's very pretty and somehow sarcastic handwriting. ]

That's me. Blessed with a cool name and a sunny disposition.

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