the combee's interest doesn't go unnoticed for long. as it buzzes hurriedly around the partially open mini fridge, the woman who's been tending the bar reappears with an armful of bottles. normally she's working on a case in her office, but her usual bartender for this day called in sick, and she hurriedly covered for him. it's usually quiet on weekdays, leaving keiko as the only one currently sitting at the actual bar, other patrons glumly nursing their drinks in the dark corners of the dive.

maisie carefully puts the bottles down on the counter. "blimey, look at him go," she marvels. "must've snuck in through an open window. wonder what he wants?" she moves toward the open fridge, but the combee suddenly buzzes angrily at her, telling her to back off.

she scratches her cheek. "rude." she's not gonna start a fight here and now, not with so many fragile things around them. "maybe he wants a drink? i can hardly open one for him if he keeps chasin' me off, though."

[ keiko mori ]
[ bar ref
[ outfit ref ]

maisie tilts her head, studying the bee with a smile on her darkly painted lips. muted metal plays in the background of the bar, the volume her own preference since she likes to be able to hear other people when they talk. "sugar water... OH! maybe he wanted this!" she yanks a bottle of something out of the mini fridge and shuts it with her foot, then proudly displays her finding to keiko. it's... cupcake flavored vodka? "i spilled a little around the fridge when i was getting it out, then i had to take a call in my office, sooo... he probably smelled the sugar."

she yanks the cap off and sniffs it, making a face. "ugh. i still haven't had the courage to try it out. smells right minging, it does." she puts the cap back, and leaves it on the counter. "i should have some sugar in my apartment... be back in a tick."

exiting from behind the counter, maisie throws her apron off off and heads for a door in the back. she unlocks it and then disappears into the dark hallway, and keiko can likely hear her footsteps upstairs as she ascends and searches for the aforementioned sugar.

[ keiko mori ]

within a few minutes she's back, carrying a bag of sugar in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other. she opens the door to the staircase, steps into the bar, takes a drag from her cigarette and puffs it back into the stairwell before closing the door on it. before it can close, though, a little fox pokemon comes trotting out, curious as to what all the fuss is about. "here comes lycidas," maisie announces. "think i woke 'im up when i was going through the kitchen."

the zorua hops up onto a barstool, careful not to get on the counter with his dirty paws. maisie goes to grab a regular glass, thinks better of it, and gets a fish bowl instead. much easier for the combee to drink from, she figures.

she pours some sugar in, then adds some water from the tap before swirling it all together. the sugar dissolves, leaving behind a cloudy, sweet-smelling drink that the combee will likely fly right to. "and there we are! the mausoleum's special sugar water."

maisie turns back to the bottle of vodka, and gives keiko a wolfish grin. "what you thinkin', mate? wanna try a shot? if you don't like it, next drink's on the house."

[ keiko mori ]

maisie's response is a guffaw and a slap of the countertop. "i like th'way ya think!" she laughs. she whirls around and grabs two shot glasses off the shelf behind the bar, placing them on the counter. she carefully pours out a shot of the cupcake vodka for each glass and then puts the bottle away securely this time. she's hoping the low temperature of the drink will make it a bit easier to get down.

lycidas sniffs the glasses, and maisie pushes his nose away. while the combee is busy enjoying its drink, she picks up her shot glass and eyes it with some apprehension. oh well. "down the hatch!" she lifts it to her mouth and drinks it in one go. actually... it's not as bad as she expected. it's a bit too sweet, yeah, but the taste itself pairs well enough with the vodka that she's able to swallow it easily. it leaves only a lingering taste in her mouth.

"could definitely be worse," she says. "prob'ly be better mixed in with something, yeah? bet i can come up with somethin' good..."

[ keiko mori ]