"A couple of these will make your tongue feel velvet-y. More of them and you'll be sleeping soundly."
"You know, you of all people should be the first one to get here."
"Now now, Umi-chan!" Nozomi laughed off Umi's stern voice and look as she walked down the alley leading to the bar that they had been running together for several years now: L1-L1 WH80. "Besides, it's not like we have any customers during opening hours, right?"
"And?" Umi crossed her arms, still dissatisfied with how nonchalantly Nozomi was treating her own bar. "What if there were?"
"Well, they'd have a handsome bartender to pass time with." Nozomi giggled as she finished unlocking the door to the bar and walking in.
"A bartender who cannot bartend," Umi mumbled as she followed Nozomi into the bar.
As the lights lit up the place and Nozomi began the daily routine of turning on every appliance in the bar, from the television screen above the bar to the jukebox in the lonely corner, Umi made her way to her mixing station and booted it up. To this day, Umi was amazed how sturdy of a machine the mixing station was. Cleaning aside, it worked as good as new, despite how… rowdy some customers have gotten in the past.
"Well, I'm gonna be in my office in the back. Yell at me if ya need something," Nozomi said as she passed by the counter and disappeared into the room past the "Employees only" door.
Umi began to scrub the different shaped glasses absentmindedly, the opening ritual of the bar never took too much time nor it needed too much attention, so Umi had to resort to thoughtless chores to pass the time until a customer arrived. L1-L1 WH80 was honestly in an awful part of the city, several blocks away from the nearest commercial sector, and far too many blocks away from the closest tourist area of Neo Tokyo. The lack of any customers in the first thirty minutes after opening hours was a testament to this, but Nozomi insisted in obtaining this location. Ever since she had gotten the idea to run her own bar, Nozomi wanted it to be called Lily White, but the most affordable way to open a bar was to go with the British Trademark Council, and they only handled names with coordinates. So L1-L1 WH80 it was. Umi tried to ignore that even if one had the… creative liberty to pronounce numbers as letters, it would be named-
The sound of the metal door sliding open derailed Umi's train of thought completely as she lowered the glass she had been cleaning and looked up. "Welcome to Lily Weighty- I-I mean…"
"Lily Weighty?! Hahaha, what's up with thyat?" Rin was not shy to laugh at her coworker's blunder, something that Umi was not too pleased with.
"You're late. Almost half an hour late." Umi frowned as the second bartender for Lily White showed up.
"I have a good reason!" Rin ran up to the counter and slammed her hands on it, something that did not startle Umi but did get her to frown even more.
"And what is it?" Umi asked unamusedly before raising her hand and pulling down Rin by her ear. The one above her other ear. She wanted to punish Rin, but not too much.
"K-Kayochin!" Rin pointed at the door, a Lilim stood right outside the bar. She gave Umi a small smile and a wave.
"Ah, Hanayo."
"Mhmm! C-Can you let go nyao?" Rin whimpered as she struggled to get out of Umi's grasp. The moment Umi let go, Rin sighed in relief and rubbed her cat ear. "S-She said that she wanted to come so I waited for her shift to end," Rin explained and waved at Hanayo to come in. The Lilim bowed at Umi before entering, Umi reciprocating with a simple nod.
Rin, all too pleased with herself now, took a step back from the bar before cracking her wrists and locked her eyes on the bar rail.
"Rin, don't you dare jump over the-"
But Umi's warning was too late, for Rin had already jumped over the counter, safely landing behind it and next to Umi.
"Rin! Don't ever do that again," Umi was about to grab Rin again, but she stepped away just before she could do so.
"You're nyat the boss of me!" Rin humphed.
"Nozomi!" Umi called out for the boss of her.
"What's up!" Nozomi's voice rang back from her office before she came out to see what was happening.
"Can you please tell Rin not to jump over the counter?"
"Rin-chan, if you break somethin' it's comin' out of your paycheck." Nozomi put her hands on her hips and frowned.
"O-Okay…" Rin mumbled and her ears drooped.
"Didja break anythin'?" Nozomi asked. Rin shook her head. "Then next time, lemme know when you jump it again. I wanna see it." Nozomi grinned and gave Rin a wink. "Ah, Hanayo-chan. Welcome to Lily White, hope you have a good time." Waving their customer goodbye, Nozomi walked back into her office.
"Umi-chan, you gotta record me next time!" Rin's mood had been lifted sky-high with Nozomi's request.
"No. And here." Umi handed Rin the glass she had been scrubbing and a clean cloth. "Scrub clean all of the glasses. Punishment for being late."
Rin groaned in response but did not say anything back, still happy thinking about the next time she would jump over the counter. "Sorry Kayo-chin, duty calls." Rin gave her an apologetic look.
"Don't worry Rin-chan. We can always talk later." Hanayo smiled and approached the counter, sitting in front of Umi.
"It's always a pleasure to see you, Hanayo," Umi resumed scrubbing glasses as Hanayo approached the bar.
"It's been a while, I hope everything's been fine."
Chatter like this always seemed like empty courtesy for Umi, but the way Hanayo spoke so softly and the way she looked at her was always so genuine that she could not help to make the exception for her.
"Well, Nozomi was late as usual. And then Rin got away with her stunts, as usual. I find myself surprised thinking about how this bar has been running for so long and-" Umi went silent, stopping herself before she went on a rant. "Sorry, I began to ramble."
"It's fine Umi-chan. You're the glue that sticks Lily White together. Someone needs to keep those two in check."
Hanayo's words made Umi smile. She supposed she was right. "Can I get you anything?"
"Hmmm…" Hanayo tapped her finger on the chin, making small dink sounds every time she did so. "Can I get a Fluffy Dream?"
Umi nodded and began to input the ingredients in her mixing station. Three parts Adelhyde, three parts Powdered Delta, and four parts Karmotrine. Hanayo had deceptively high alcohol tolerance so Umi always put additional Karmotrine in her drinks. Even though Umi assumed most Lilim were designed that way, the first time Umi had seen Hanayo outdrink Nozomi would never leave her mind. "Here," Umi handed Hanayo a green and sweet cocktail right after Hanayo put her card over the scanner to finish the transaction.
"Thanks," Hanayo replied alongside a smile before taking a sip of her drink. "Is… Rin-chan always late?" She asked in a quiet voice, not wanting her friend to overhear them.
"Well…" Umi began to think of the times that she had been left alone behind the counter multiple times, but only very few of those occasions Umi had needed help with customers. "It is not often that I need help with bartending during opening hours, but she's usually only late by a couple of minutes. It's nothing too bad, really."
"Really? That's a relief…" Hanayo let out a sigh before sipping on her drink. "Rin-chan has not always been… the greatest when it comes to responsibilities and stuff like that. I know that Nozomi-chan won't just fire her or anything but... " Hanayo trailed off, running her finger across the rim of her glass. The sound of the glass and the metal finger made for an odd sound.
"But it would be nice for her to commit to her responsibilities?" Umi finished her question.
"Yeah, it always worries me a little that she'll run out of options someday." Hanayo confessed, glancing at Rin from her peripheral vision.
"If she does, I'll do all I can to help her out."
"Thanks, Umi-chan. It means a lot to me." Hanayo smiled and took a long sip of her Fluffy Dream, finishing the rest of her drink. Hanayo put down her glass and slid it towards Umi.
Umi took the glass and put it in the sink to clean it later. "Can I get you anything else?"
"I'll have… a Moonblast. Make it big," Hanayo requested after taking a glance at the drinks menu on the screen behind Umi.
"A big Moonblast." Umi repeated, mostly out of habit rather than confirming the order. Big, so twelve Adelhyde, two Powdered Delta, two Flanergide and four Karmotrine. Ice and blended. "So, how was work?" She asked as the mixing station whirred the drink until it became blended.
"Oh, kids will be kids." Hanayo giggled. "You-chan made Yoshiko-chan cry when she took away her favorite toys and they didn't want to make up until their moms came to pick them up. Oh! Thanks." Hanayo hadn't noticed when her drink had been served but she quickly took a gulp out of it.
"You're welcome," Umi replied before she ran the tap water to clean the glass Hanayo had just used. She knew that kids could be… unreasonable, but Umi would not have the patience to be in Hanayo's line of work. "By the way, are kids not… unsettled by your looks?" She had always been curious about this, but she did not mean to pry too much on Hanayo's private life, especially regarding the fact that she was a Lilim.
"Well, they always stare at me on the first few days. Most of them get touchy, especially on the joints. Then they ask me if I'm a robot. I don't mind though!"
"Well, the key difference between a robot and a Lilim is that Lilim are fully designed to learn and feel emotions. Robots are just machines."
"I always have to explain that, and then they start asking if TVs and phones are robots. You would think it'd stop being funny the first time it happens." Hanayo giggled, reminiscing of the kids she had had to babysit before. "Kids are amazing, don't you think? They're always full of energy and curiosity, and above all else, innocence. It's hard to find such pure things in this world anymore."
"Not even the alcohol is pure anymore," Umi commented offhandedly, earning a chuckle out of her client. Hanayo talked of kids so passionately, it truly showed that her class of Lilim was designed for social interactions. She even looked like the kindest of mothers.
"Umi-chan! Stop hogging Kayo-chin!" Rin groaned rather loudly, still scrubbing glasses until they were sparkly clean.
"Stop coming late then," Umi replied and rolled her eyes. "Okay, I'll let you have Hanayo. But you still have to finish with those glasses."
"Yay! Aye aye captain!" Rin saluted before waving at Hanayo. "Come sit over here!"
"It's always nice to talk with you, Umi-chan," Hanayo said before changing to a stool in front of Rin.
"Welcome to Lily White," Umi said out of habit when she heard the metal door open.
"Hey, bartender!" Umi's new client boasted quite an attitude for her size. Umi had to suppress the urge to sigh. It was going to be one of those clients. Umi was able to take a better look at the client as she walked towards the counter. She looked like a DFC Lilim, and a rather young looking one at that. Her voice sounded much smoother though, like a CH1A. Like a human.
"These walls are soundproof, right?" The Lilim asked quietly as she looked around, inspecting every corner of the bar as if she was looking for something.
"Soundproofing isn't standard in BTC bars but because we're in a… less commercialized area, our walls are soundproof," Umi explained, still inspecting the Lilim in front of her. There was something familiar about her, something she could not pinpoint. Maybe someone else she knew had black hair like hers.
"So this bar is soundproof because it's a shitty area for a bar and you can't make a ruckus for everyone else in the neighborhood. Got it." The Lilim's tone of voice did little to impress Umi.
"So," Umi did not mean for her voice to sound so loud, "can I serve you a drink?"
"Oh! Uh, sure. You can serve me a Gut Punch. That is your cheapest drink, right? Yeah, serve me one of those awful things."
Umi eyed the Lilim one more time before she started to mix her drink. She did not even look old enough to drink alcohol. Well, she was not human per se, but there were still laws that regulated Lilim drinking.
"Here you go, miss…" Umi took a look at the cashier to read her client's name. "Miss Yazawa."
"Please, no one calls me that! I'm everyone's favorite idol! Nico Nico Nii!" Nico put on a smile that looked as fake as the "natural ingredients" in her mixing ingredients and posed with her hands above her head. It only made Umi feel like she received a quite literal Gut Punch.
"Right… Nico."
"See? Now you're getting it!" Nico grinned before she sipped on her drink. The moment the mix entered her mouth she made a disgusted expression and put her drink down. She certainly seemed like one who would not be able to handle such a strong drink. "Hey! This is actually awful!"
"Well, maybe you should not have come to a bar, Nico."
"What are you blabbering about? This doesn't have any alcohol in it!" Nico pointed at her drink before putting it on the other side of the counter.
"We don't serve minors here." Umi explained with a stern voice, ignoring the drink she had been returned.
"Minor?!" Nico gasped offendedly before she got off her stool. Umi kept her stern look, even if Nico looked shorter without her seat. "I am a fully developed Lilim!" she exclaimed before slamming down her identification on the counter.
Umi frowned and looked down at the ID card Nico had set down. Her assembly date was… "You're older than me," Umi thought out loud. "Forgive me, you just look so-"
"Young? I know I do, lady! Not every Lilim opts in for the upgrades." Nico's tone made Umi think she was not too fond of said upgrades. "Now, can you spike my drink, please?"
Umi was not too fond of Nico's wording but complied anyways. Instead of adding Karmotrine, Umi threw the drink into the sink and mixed a new one. "Say, Nico. Have we met before?" Umi's curiosity got the better of her.
"Oh? You mean you don't know me?" Nico's smug smiled made Umi think she was about to regret asking. The Lilim tied up her hair in twintails with a couple of ribbons, flipped one of them and cleared her throat. "Nico Nico Nii! I'm Neo Japan's number one idol, Nico Yazawa! Nico Nii loves every single one of you, and remember to buy my latest collab CD with A-RISE!"
Umi was dumbfounded. Not in her entire bartending career had she seen a circus act been performed in Lily White. Frankly, this could all have been a dream for all she knew.
"Hmm? Captivated by Nico's charms?" Nico's wink snapped Umi back into reality. Pleased with herself, the Lilim went back to her seat and took the drink Umi had prepared for her and took a sip of it. "Wow, this is still fucking awful."
"I added the alcohol though." Umi frowned, wondering if she had messed up the drink.
"I know, I'm just saying this is awful." Nico stuck out her tongue in disgust before taking another sip.
"Why order it then?"
"Because it's cheap," Nico answered quickly.
"I thought you said you were an idol," Umi asked, still confused. Did Nico really do all that act to pretend to be one?
"I wasn't always one! Nico Nii's story is a humble one, which you can buy in audiobook form for just a thousand yen!" The Lilim had gone from sad to complete business mode in a matter of seconds. Umi had to admit that her vocal range was impressive. Nico frowned when she did not get Umi moved not even by an inch and sighed. "Or you can get it for free for a Moonblast."
"I'm not giving you free drinks, Nico."
"Fine then! Just give me my Moonblast." Nico huffed and crossed her arms dejectedly. Her pout flipped to a happy and excited smile once Umi handed her her drink.
"Do you like Moonblasts?" Umi felt compelled to ask, seeing how excited Nico was about drinking hers.
"Of course!" Nico smiled and put her drink down just to make her pose. "They're sweet, happy, pink and girly, just like Nico Nii! It also helps that they're not too expensive." Nico's voice of nostalgia made Umi raise an eyebrow. So far the only genuine thing about her.
"So what brings an idol to Lily White?" Umi asked as she cleaned the glass she had used for the previous drink.
"Lily White?" Nico tilted her head, puzzled. "I heard you say that before. Wasn't this bar's name just a code or something?"
"Well, yes, but the owner of the bar really wanted it to be Lily White. Hence the… less than ideal location," Umi explained.
"Oh, well, that works out for Nico you know. Nico needed a lowkey place to drink her worries away. Too many eyes in the other districts! And this is nearby… ish to my home." Nico explained as she took another generous sip of her drink. "Nico doesn't get too much privacy nowadays," she mumble into her glass.
"Well, as a bartender I promise to keep everything you say here a secret." This was true with most bartenders and somewhat obvious but Umi figured that saying it out loud might comfort the idol a bit.
"Just what Nico needs! A private therapist that only charges me a Moonblast per hour."
"Oh, if you want someone to chew their ears off, we have someone over there with four of them." Umi pointed at Rin and Hanayo on the other end of the counter, who had been too busy talking with each other to notice the newest patron of the bar.
Nico gasped when she saw Rin. Her crimson eyes were fixated on those cat ears on her head. "A cat bomber…"
"Cat boomer." Umi corrected her.
"A cat boomer! That's what Nico said." Umi did not manage to control her eye roll, but thankfully Nico was not looking at her. "Aren't those cute? Nico sometimes has to put on animal ear headbands, but nothing beats the real deal."
Rin turned towards them, Nico's lack of subtlety catching her attention. She excitedly turned to Hanayo and tapped her shoulder with enthusiasm before pointing at Nico. Hanayo made a sound Umi was not even aware Lilim could make, but after exchanging some murmurs with Rin, the two girls approached them.
"N-Nico Yazawa!" Hanayo gasped once she was on the stool next to Nico's.
"Oh, a fan!" Nico's voice was more than saccharine. Umi was glad she did not have to hear her speak like that all this time. "Finally, some recognition in this abandoned lot of a bar."
"Me too-nya!" Rin was practically bouncing in place out of excitement. "Kayochin knows everything about you and we always listen to your songs!"
"And that last album with A-RISE was amazing!" Hanayo nodded one too many times.
"Oh oh! Your next song should be about cheeseburgers! And and and about waffles!"
"Hey, what are your names?" Nico asked as she rummaged through her pocket.
"Rin!"
"A-And I'm Hanayo!"
"Got it." Nico grinned as she pulled out a marker and wrote her signature on her glass and on Hanayo's, much to the other two's rejoice.
Umi sighed, noticing the marker was a permanent one too. Tonight was going to be a long night.
"Is this place still open?"
"We're closing up the bar, sorry!"
"Oh, okay. I'll come by earlier next time then."
"Come again!"
"Who was that?" Umi asked her coworker as she stepped out of the restroom.
"A client I hope, she looked like a cop…"
"She wouldn't have left if she had come as a client. Let's hope she comes back later."
