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"Call it a gift," he said gently.

Sensing her uneasiness, he moved away from her a bit, picked up the knife and closing it. Slipping it back into the pocket of his tattered jeans, he walked back behind the bar, stopping once to inspect the surface of it. He rubbed at what appeared to be an imaginary spot with his finger, then shrugged and wandered around to the other side. Now at his familiar station, separated from the rest of the room by the bar, he leaned forward on it, clasping his hands together.

"So, did you want something to drink? I mean, I know it's only afternoon, but I can't say I've never gotten my buzz early. If alcohol doesn't strike your fancy, I can cook ya up something. I don't have anyone in here working the stove, but I pride myself in my culinary abilities."

Even if I can't remember where I got them from, he added silently.

"What do you think, my dear?"

"Mm, malibu and coke eh? Well, I have to say I'm afraid I'm fresh out of your posion on that one. But if you like that sort of thing, I know something you would die for," he said, the regret tinging his voice. He looked at her guility before ducking under the counter to retrive a nice stout cup and fruit juce from the mini fridge. He set them on the counter and then turned around, grabbed three bottles of different kinds of rum and added a bit of each to the glass. Then he pour fruit juice in, covered the top with a shaker and shook the concotion up.

After that was done, he skewered a pineapple with a long plastic toothpick and plopped it in the cup. "Rum Runner. Best buzz you'll ever get without real hard alcohol."

Something struck him after a moment, and he excused himself from her. He'd beter give Mr. McKrea a call before time was up. He dialed the number quickly and listened to it ring. After a moment, McKrea's voice floated across the line.

"Hello, thank you for calling McKrea Bank."

"Yeah, hi, my name's Tank, I'm calling about the job I was offered yesterday? I'm a bartender," Tank said, feeling foolish. He hated phones, they made him feel as if he was talking to no one.

"Oh, hello Tank! Yes, we will be needing your services, and thank you for recommending Nolah to us. She will do just fine. We're going to need you, a full wet bar, and some things on tap, is that all right?"

"Of course, sir. When is it?"

"The day after next, Third Floor Aeris Banquet Hall."

"Good, Thank you so much, Mr. McKrea."

"No problem Tank. But remember, you're going to have to dress nicely. It's a black tie event, understand?"

"Of course sir."

"See you there!"

He hung up. And walked back to the bar.

He pushed the glass toward her and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry. I'll order some Malibu for you the next time I take inventory. Customer should always get what she wants you know. This is just me sorry excuse for a subsitute." He moved away from her and went back into the kitchen, peering at her through the open food window. "Let's see...what do you fancy? Chicken? Soup? Beef?"

"Ah. I'll make this today's special. Terriyakki burger and fries...anything else you want before I start this?"

He nodded and went to work, pulling meat from the fridge, gathering bowls and measuring devices, and firing up the stoves and the deep frier. He unwrapped the meat, washed his hands, and put the meat in a large silver bowl. He added a portion of a bottle of sauce, and some sesame seeds, and mixed it up using his hands.Thank done, he wiped his hands on the white apron he was wearing and check the stove.

He formed a beef patty and stuck it on the stainless steel cook surface. Listening to it sizzle for a moment, he then turned around and grabbed a couple of potatoes out of a sack on a rolling cart and skinned them using a knife, quickly, cutting himself once and waiting a moment for the cut to heal. He washed the potatoes and placed them one by one in the slicer mounted on the wall. He pushed the lever down, and each time, perfectly shaped pieces of raw potatoes fell out the bottom and into a tray.

He took the potatoes and threw them in a frier basket and put it in the now bubbling oil. Turning back to the stove, he grabbed a spatula and flipped the burger over, send ing it pretty far into the air before catching it on the spatula and putting it down to finish cooking. He opened a package of individually slice pieces of cheese and set one on top of the cooking burger.

Five mintues later, he had toasted the bun and the burger was now sitting ontop of it. He put lettuce, tomato and onion onto of the meat, put a ramican of mayo, mustard and ketchup on the plate, and place the top of the bun at an angle ontop. He turned, pulled the fries out and dumped them onto the plate as well. Then he brought it out to her.

"There ya go!"

Christophe snuck in the back door of the tavern. Luckily, Tank had left it unlocked. He needed another trench coat-- again. This was going to be a clothing problem if it kept up. Peering through the doorway into the main room, he saw Rien and Tank. He spoke their names, and asked if they could come to the back, as he needed to talk to them while apologizing for interrupting their meal, and basically breaking and entering. Seeing the food that Rien was eating, he also asked if there was anything left, before ducking in the back when a large figure made for the door of the inn.

"Don't let them know I'm here," he hissed, as the door knob began to turn and a man in a low hat entered the bar.

It had only been about noon when Kyle arrived in Dark Haven. And he was more or less exhausted. The man had been traveling for more days than he could count through the desert, hoping he'd find SOMETHING before he ran out of provisions or his horse died. And thus, these hopes had been fufilled, though the bar had been closed. That was odd.

With a half a skin of water left, he'd explored the town a bit for a couple hours, noting how... diverse it seemed to be. A few people he saw had wings, a number of tails poked out of some of the oddest clothes he'd ever seen, and he couldn't help but marvel at some of the contraptions that were present. In his travels he'd heard of those machines called motorkars, and elektrisity, but not necessarily seen them. However, he wasn't necessarily surprised at what he'd seen. After all, he'd been to many realms in his time, and this was yet another.

In his exploring, he found he had once more come to the bar, which indicated in the window that it was indeed open. Thoughtfully, Kyle stopped in front of the building, a slight wind tugging at his hat and clothing, his horse giving a soft whicker. After a moment, he tethered his mount just outside, slipping out of the saddle and onto the dusty ground. "I'll get you some water inside." With a caring pat to the horse's nose, he stepped inside, squinting pale eyes slightly as they adjusted to the darker room. What he didn't notice was that his companion, Jake, had bumbled in after him.

When his eyes adjusted, he looked around, an unreadable expression on his face. With a swift movement, the man removed his hat and dusted it off absent-mindedly, while he looked at the (to him) strange furnishings, then to the people. The bartender had a set of silky black wings, the feathers tipped in red. There looked to be an elf there as well, and a few others he couldn't quite tell what they were.

However, what DID catch his eye was a rather dark looking man in a hat, who had stepped in, and the others in the roomseemed anxious about him, though none said it outright. So, he stepped passed the man, keeping a wary eye on him, before settling down on a stool at the bar, placing his hat on his knee. Kyle ran his hand through his dark hair then rested his hands on the bar in an effort to catch Tank's attention.

Jake hopped onto the stool next to him, calling the gunslinger's attention. The creature simply gave a sort of smile and said, "AKE!" Yes, that WAS his name.

"You're not supposed to be here."

"Be here." Jake said darkly, a perfect imitation of his master.

Kyle shook his head and looked back to Tank. "If I'm not interrupting anything, I'd like a beer, please. And if possible, some water for my horse. We've been on a rather trying journey, and we're both exhausted." He looked at Jake, then added, "And if you want him out, I'll make sure that's done." After his drink, he planned on getting a room at the Inn, that is, if he had enough money.

The man then looked once more at the others and gave a slight nod of his head, a slient sort of greeting... Actually, it was him indicating he knew of their presence. What was happening between them and this man in the hat was none of his concern currently.