[Voice/Action]

[wingenvy]

[This again... in this instance, though, Zack doesn't mind making the announcement. Luke had given him some bad news recently and it really seems to be hitting him hard, so it wouldn't be fair for the poor guy to have to tell everyone else, as well. He's been through enough lately.]

Hey guys, just a head's up... Guy Cecil's been sent back to his world.

[And since he'd rather not dwell on the bad news-]

Since we've lost him again, Good Spirits - that's the local bar here, for anybody who hasn't visited the place - is still looking for a couple more staff members, if anybody's interested. Servers especially. The place is run by me, Buffy, Raven, and Nami right now, but it's always nice to have a few nights off, so some extra hands can make a big difference for us. Inquire within!

We're trying to expand the menu to include some finger food, too- nothing too complicated, just stuff that's easy for anybody to make. Suggestions would be awesome.

Guess that's it for now.

[This entry can also serve as an OPEN BAR POST if anyone's interested.]

Comments

action - open too if anyone else wants to bother her

[thestormishere]

[ While she typically tries not to show or admit it, the heat of Luceti's July tends to make Lightning pretty damn miserable- even when the village isn't the middle of a heat wave. Sticking to her normal schedule is quite a bit more difficult when the sun is beating down constantly and the air itself seems oppressive, when it seems like her clothes and hair are trying their best to stick to her even when she's not doing anything remotely worth sweating over.

However, she's got much better ideas than moping around and fanning herself at home, which is why the woman eventually makes an appearance at the bar today. The sight of her isn't all that unusual by now, but this time she's got something more interesting than a stoic attitude for once-

A cooled watermelon held between her arm and side as she ducks in the door and turns to close it right away to keep the warmer air out.

She doesn't make a production of it, but she's also not all that subtle either, as she strolls up to the bar itself and sets the fruit down there. To what is probably nobody who has ever met her's surprise, she's also brought one hell of a knife along too, and wastes no time in looking for the best way to start slicing her haul. ]

[i_am_not_cute]

[Pao-Lin's sitting at the bar trying to chase away the heat of the day with a strawberry milkshake when Lightning comes in and thunks that watermelon down nearby. The girl eyes the fruit contemplatively. Damn, that thing looks delicious; she hopes Lightning's going to share it. and hopefully won't shank Pao-Lin with that knife if she asks for a piece]

[thestormishere]

[ It does look delicious, doesn't it? Not only is it a prime example of a medium-sized melon (could she really eat all of that on her own?), but it's been sitting in Lightning's refrigerator too- condensation has clearly formed on the outside of the rind during its short adventure outside, making Lightning sort of swipe at where it got on her shirt before giving it up as useless.

Instead she settles the blade of her knife on the end of the fruit, and begins cutting into it with steady slices. No pansy dull knife for her, that's for sure. ]

[i_am_not_cute]

[Pao-Lin watches Lightning cut into the fruit, separating out the pieces she's sliced. A little tentatively, she offers:]

Do you need a plate to put those on? [She has an empty one from when she ordered some food earlier. All she needs to do is sweep the crumbs off it a little.]

[thestormishere]

[ Lightning blinks as she looks up at the question, then... down at the plate. ]

Ah. Sure.

[ Although, hey. Isn't this the girl she keeps chasing off her lawn during experiments? Whoops, she probably hasn't actually explained herself for her weirdness that last time yet. 8|;; ]

[i_am_not_cute]

[Yeeeeeaaah you should probably do that at some point soon, Light. Poor Pao-Lin's halfway convinced that you just don't like her on principle.

Pao-Lin cleans off the plate before setting it down nearby.]

Did you get that watermelon from the store, or did you grow it yourself?

[thestormishere]

[ She's a brave girl to not get intimidated and back down from that alone, then. Lightning's just not always the best at first impressions that don't end in intimidation...

-- But haha, ahaha, the idea that this one is capable of growing something edible... that's rich. The apparent absurdity clearly shows on her face for a moment, even if her reply remains simple. ]

The store.

[i_am_not_cute]

[Pao-Lin does catch a glimpse of Lightning's incredulity at the question, but she thinks that it's because Lightning thought she'd just asked a stupid question. She simpers.]

I see...I guess that was kind of a stupid question, huh? I know someone who has a vegetable garden, and there's that farm up north, but...most of our food comes from whatever shows up in the store...

[Awkward. Awkward, awkward, awkward.]

[thestormishere]

You wouldn't want to eat anything I grew, trust me.

[ If... Pao-Lin's being particularly awkward, it's just rolling right off of Lightning. It's true- she's almost depressingly used to acting normal (for her) while other people are stumbling around (literally or mentally, because of her or otherwise). ]

[i_am_not_cute]

Ah...I'm sure you're not that bad. [Pao-Lin hunches her shoulders a bit and simpers.] I mean, I always forgot to water the potted vegetables back home, so the plants would always end up dying or the vegetables would turn out really small...

[thestormishere]

[ Eehhhh... Lightning just shakes her head slightly. No, she's not going to waste energy arguing in the hopes of convincing someone else of a negative trait of hers. Perhaps her self esteem isn't always the best it could be at times, but that's sort of a step too far. ]

You didn't notice anything edible the last few times you were messing around in my yard, did you?

[ ... She will go ahead and throw that out, though. Yes girl, she does remember you. 8|;;; ]

[i_am_not_cute]

[Pao-Lin ducks her head a little more.]

...um...to be honest...I don't really remember. I kinda went into a lot of people's yards at that time, so... [Not to mention she was too busy being freaked out both by the experiment and by Lightning yelling at her to remember other details at this point in time.]

[thestormishere]

[ And Lightning turns to look straight at her, expression unreadable. After a moment, however- ]

Experiments really have a way of messing with people.

[wingenvy]

[Zack lifts a brow at the combination of her appearance, the watermelon, and the knife, but rather than commenting immediately, he leans his elbow on the bar counter to watch her work with interest.

...

Yep, this is different.]

Feeling a little overheated at home?

[thestormishere]

And everywhere else.

[ A touch testy, but the hot is mostly to blame for that- as evidenced by the way that seems to remind her to brush hair from her face with the back of a hand before settling it on the rind again. She pulls the knife from the melon, tilting it back and forth a moment as she briefly glances at the other village residents who have taken to bar-inhabiting at the moment. ]

Hope you're not running low on ice.

[wingenvy]

I think our supply is okay for now, but now that you've mentioned it, I'll probably start making more. If this heat keeps up we'll have one steady stream of customers this month.

[Speaking of which-]

Can I get you something? ...A watermelon slushie?

[thestormishere]

Too bad they're not paying.

[ Said quietly, as she... tries not to think of a particular cafe and what the gil credit from selling all those drinks to thirsty beach-goers funded. She takes a second to consider his question, while she goes back to finishing the first cut down through the watermelon and then allows it to fall into halves. Fortunately, it looks like she picked this one well.

Finally, she smirks slightly. ]

Sounds like as good an idea as any.

[wingenvy]

[Zack grins, waiting for her to cut more; he needs at least one slice before he can make one. Or two. Two would be good.]

It's the least I can do for bringing it over and making a mess all over my bar counter.

[thestormishere]

Could be worse.

[ Like, say, the blood from a dead animal? This is one girl who wouldn't be surprised by now to hear an incident like that has already happened.

She's deft as she keeps cutting, and then she has a couple of one-eighth slices- one of which she starts in separating the tasty part from the inedible. :F ]

[wingenvy]

I've probably had worse, yeah. It's okay, though, it's easy to clean.

[Who would complain to a scary lady with a big knife anyway? While he waits, though, he goes to add some water to another ice cube tray. Just in case.]

[thestormishere]

[ Well that's good. Knife or no, Lightning probably would have been embarrassed anyway if he'd been more upset about her mess in development here. Next time she'll have to remember to bring a towel to set it on or something.

She finishes the one slice a few moments before he's probably able to make it back, and simply pushes it with the chunks ready to be picked up closer to him after claiming one for own, then starting on another. Come to think of it, she should have brought some sort of container to put the extra in too, but ah well. ]

How's your... 'help wanted' search going?

[wingenvy]

Got a few offers, actually. I think we'll have a nice, healthy staff for a while.

[Unless there's a mass exodus, but that doesn't happen that often...

He scoops up the watermelon chunks she so helpfully provided, tossing them in a blender to get them good and crushed. Syrup and ice to follow.]

[thestormishere]

Hopefully people who are willing to learn how to actually work and not just get drunk all day.

[ And no pretty girls, right? Right, Zack? ]

[wingenvy]

Hopefully. We'll find out before too long if that's what they're planning, anyway.

[Two pretty girls, actually. And they're very pretty. |D]

[thestormishere]

[ They won't be when Lightning gets done with them. Oh damn does she need to start marking her territory? Hope you like 'property of' tattoos on your FACE, bro.

She makes kind of a hneh sound at that, smirking but not quite making it a laugh as she half-shrugs one shoulder. ]

Can be hard to tell.