At the Bar

I stepped over a large puddle as the rain quickened. I had just started my new shift working nights at a small bar. I've slowly learned the ways around these side streets to the bar, but it was still unfamiliar as I had just moved to this city and this job. My teacher had laid this path for me, all that was left was for me to resign myself and walk it. I pushed open the back door which creaked slowly. It was a small bar tucked away from the rest of the city. A place that often attracted people of various backgrounds, those who may not want to be recognized by those they may know. A place my teacher said would be perfect for me to begin as "Sky". He said I couldn't live as "myself" from before. That without my memories and my "past self", that it would be impossible. My teacher told me everything I needed to survive, I had grown to trust and depend on him this past year. Perhaps I began to think of him as a sort of parental figure as the past year is the only year that the present me can remember. However, this and that are 2 matters entirely.

"Good m- afternoon.. no, evening!"

I stumbled over my greetings. Sleeping through the day, my sense of time had all but perished.

"You covered all the greetings so hurry up and set up now." The bartender training me this past week sighed as she made speedy movements herself.

"Well it's not even 8pm yet, isn't it early to say good evening?"

"Even though I slept til 4pm I can't say that 8pm is an afternoon."

"So what time are your mornings?"

"Mornings are mornings, you know. When I wake up its simply afternoon."

Eva's attitude towards life was matter of fact. Her own situation was irrelevant to if it was morning or night. Sky liked that about his slightly older coworker. She had a self-assured grip on reality. She was also a bit of an obstacle.

"You really should get here a little sooner. We open before long." Eva chided the new young worker.

"Sorry, but I can't stop oversleeping."

"If I sleep only during daylight hours I don't feel rested at all. I don't know how you can do that."

"Well… I still don't feel rested. But it's just a personal problem."

"Why trail off like that? If you have something you want off your chest just say it."

"Well, I just feel tired in general… plus I've been having some nightmares."

"That so?"

Eva didn't give half-hearted reassurance.

After cleaning and arranging, Sky flipped the sign on the front door of the alleyway bar.

The bar was busy despite being a Tuesday night. Sometimes people would disappear into a nearby alley after meeting up with someone. It was a perfect place for the business his teacher had instructed him on as well. However, although it was already his fourth night at the bar, he had yet to begin. It was most likely the source of his nightmares as well.

The door creaked in an octave that was already familiar to his ears. However, this time an unfamiliar figure was the one who entered. A girl around his age with dark grey eyes and black hair sat at the front of the bar. It was a spot usually occupied by loners looking to drink the night away while also watching all those who entered. He couldn't imagine the girl was one and the same as his mental image he had built in the past 4 days. However, she sat with no hesitation in the seat closest to where he stood, staring her opaque eyes into his own glassy eyes. His eyes remained but he assumed to be his original color from before he turned, being a medium brown hue and his hair a clear shade of blond. His teacher had gave him his new name after drunkenly slurring on about how his appearance was like that of a warm summer sky rather than a vampire's.

"What would you like to drink?"

"Whatever you recommend…"

She glanced to the name-tag pinned to his shirt and narrowed her eyes.

"Sky"

"Its hard to recommend without knowing anything about you" Sky may be working at the bar for purposes listed by his teacher but the fact that he's on his own now with rent payments dictated he needed happy customers and therefore respectable tips.

The girl slipped him a bill worth an entire bottle on the middle rack.

"My name is Ilia. Get me anything you like and keep the change."

It seemed unorthodox to his training but Sky had grown accustomed to the unorthodox with both his teacher and his limited experience at the bar.

As Sky poured a drink that would give her a reasonable value for the amount she gave he asked,

"Why did you tell me your name?"

From the entire exchange, this was the most surprising part, with the variety of occupations that passed through the bar customers with thick wallets were not uncommon. However, anonymity was something almost all of their customers valued highly. Even the bartenders often use fake names, but for Sky who's name already seemed foreign to him, felt the need to anchor his name somewhere. Since this was the only place he went in this new town, he decided to keep his 'real' name displayed.

"You said he didn't know anything about me."

She drank from the cup as he passed it to her.

"Now you do."

She drank the rest of her drink.

'She drinks well.'

Sky thought to himself as her drinking behavior reminded him of regulars who have been at the bar every night since he started.

However, after set the drink down, her slightly flushed cheeks did not remind him of those same people.

'Why would she drinks so fast if she knew her tolerance wasn't able to keep pace?'

Her behavior made him uncomfortable as it fit his teacher's instructions very well.

"Th- that drink is actually quite strong. You should be careful."

Ilia's eyes were still as opaque as when she walked in but there was a slight dampness to them now.

"It's fine. I can…"

Her mouth slowly stopped as she raised her gaze towards his.

She crooked her neck and rested her head on her hand supported by her elbow on the bar counter.

"Then, this time, get me something more expensive."

'Doesn't she have any preference between different sorts of liqueurs or wines?'

But this time he took advantage of her offer and got her a drink from the top shelf.

Sky poured a clear tequila with a price tag as high as his monthly rent.

Without inquiring the price, Ilia again downed the alcohol at a rapid rate.

'She drank my rent in a mere moment.'

Sky felt a bit jealous but quickly erased his resentment, replacing it with a burning desire to earn a high tip.

'Was I forgetting something?'

Sky pushed his other thoughts into a tiny corner of his mind.

Ilia pulled several large bills from her bag, placing them on top of a prettily decorated box which she had also retrieved from her bag. She handed them both to Sky.

Sky grabbed them both without thinking, motivated by the overlap of money and bill due.

"I just happened to have some extra cookies that no one ate at work today. Consider them an extra tip."

It wasn't Sky's first time that a customer offered him payment other than cash, but it was the first time it was offered as a tip in addition to the customer paying in full. Still overwhelmed by the most expensive drink he hold sold since he started, he became unable to refuse.

"Well, since you offered. Thanks."

"Just make sure you eat them. It's a waste of ingredients otherwise."

Ilia smiled fondly towards Sky. However, Sora noticed that she looked increasingly drunk as the minutes passed.

"Thank you for your purchase, but you shouldn't drink so fast if you can't handle your alcohol well."

"Hmm right, I'm usually… a better drinker than this. It seems my… alcohol metabolism has worsened tonight."

Ilia's speech slowed as if she was starting to have a hard time finding the right words.

"Whiskey!"

A man several sears down called.

"Yes sir! I'll be back soon if you need anything more."

Sky turned his head towards the man who asked for a whiskey before turning back to Ilia who he found hard to place. Neat dressed young people didn't often come to this bar, speaking with his coworkers after his previous shifts, this was a place where ordinary people did not often visit. After serving the first man who called then a few more customers, he turned back to the front of the bar, only to see that there was someone else now sitting in the same seat as where she was before.

"Let's just think of it as a lucky tip."

But Sky's mind wandered as he knew safety in this area was the reason ordinary customers did not visit.

'What an ironic thought.'

He shook his head and worked deep into the night.