text: un: burninate

[kelvins]

[those in cadelle who've stopped by criminales earlier in the month may have noticed the lights off and the interior darker than usual. which is saying a lot since most of the light can't really even be seen through the grimy windows. there's been no sign of the cheerful manager in the librarian chic glasses or the grumpy owner who is as likely to be holding a lighter as he is to be holding a beer.

early on the 17th, mick goes downstairs, flipping the switch on the neon 'open' sign and begins to sweep up around the bar. he hums quietly to himself as he wipes off glasses and the bar tops. good morning, cadelle. it's good to be back. but where are his customers? he fumbles for his device and types a hurried post to the network.]

i'm running a little low on slush funds, people.
did someone else open a bar while i was gone?

Comments

[duelo]

I figured if you closed it without asking me specifically to open it, that there was a reason for that. So I didn't open it, in any case. I don't know about Kara, though.

[ When she got back, anyway. Or before she left, for that matter. ]

Are we open again?

[kelvins]

it's fine that you didn't. i assumed she would but guess she's still taking time off.

[text is a good thing because it doesn't transmit the grumbles that derek would likely be privy to if this was a face to face conversation. no one needs to deal with that sort of misplaced displeasure.]

hell yeah. the boss is back and it's business as usual.
you free to come in tonight?

[duelo]

It probably is better that I didn't anyway, since I've never tended bar anyway. Glad to see you're back and yeah, I'll come in. That works for me.

[kelvins]

pouring beer's not that hard.
if you want, i'll give you a rundown of the rest of things when you get here.

[he's not even sure that derek would want the extra responsibilities. hell he doesn't even want the work, but in case things go south and kara decides she's just never going to show up again or he leaves, he'd like to think that someone would come turn the lights on and keep the beer flowing.

his people — the regulars — deserve that much.]

[duelo]

Wouldn't I need a liquor license or something? What about cocktails, do people ever order that stuff?

I mean, I'm willing to learn in case you need a backup, don't get me wrong. I can pour a beer and probably figure out how to run a register. How hard can it be?

[ He's never worked a day in his life before CriminALES, which means he's never used a cash register. He has legitimately no idea what he's doing when it comes to that, but if a high school kid can do it at a grocery store, Derek can at a bar, right? ]

[kelvins]

the bar's license keeps you covered
there's this 4 hour safety class you gotta take here though.
waste of time. i could tell you what you need to know in 15 minutes

cocktails are expensive which is good
but a pain in the ass.
we don't have many.

the money thing's not that hard.
hardest bit is keeping track of how many each person's had.
but that's what the system kara put in is for.

[ if mick can manage to run a bar and not give away the farm, well, derek should be fine pushing the buttons on the pos. wait a minute, derek...]

have you never used a register before?

[duelo]

Oh, gotcha. I don't mind taking it, though, it's fine.

Fair enough, then I don't have to worry about being awesome at that. Good.

Right, yeah. that makes sense.

[ He pauses before responding to that last bit. ]

...no?

[ This is his first job...ever. ]

[kelvins]

no?
seriously?
no?

who hasn't ever worked a register before?

[to be fair, mick hadn't either until he'd become a bar owner, but the news that someone else hasn't is an actual surprise.]

[duelo]

[ Well, way to make him feel self-conscious there, Mick. ]

This is my first job...

[kelvins]

makes two of us.
if that makes you feel better.

well... my first honest job anyhow.

[well guess that cat's out of the bag now. at least derek's not working for a mob boss.]

[duelo]

[ Admittedly, that's kind of a relief. It means that Mick probably won't judge him too much for it. ]

My family was rich and when they died, I inherited a shitload. Plus, I inherited the insurance money from the fire. So...couple that with the fact that I'm not big on material possessions, I never really had to work. I kind of only ever really bought food and clothes. But my money's not here, so it seemed like as good a time as any to join the real world a little. I appreciate you guys having taken a chance on me.

...I can learn the register, Mick.

[kelvins]

[he really isn't expecting derek's whole life story unfolding before him via text message, but he's not judging derek for his lack of work experience or for the circumstances behind it.]

most rich kids go for backpacking in spain to pick up life skills...
but if you were gonna work at a dive
i'm glad it's mine.

i think you can too.

[duelo]

[ Most rich kids aren't trying to run from a murderer, is all Derek can think, but he figures Mick doesn't give a shit, so he'll spare the guy. ]

If they're actually gaining life skills on those backpacking trips I'd be really shocked.

Me too. You're a good first boss to have. Thanks for that.

[kelvins]

[...he would probably be less surprised by that tidbit than most but those finer details would be mostly wasted on mick.]

i assume they're probably just drinking and taking side trips to amsterdam to get high, but who knows.

might want to keep the praise down.
wouldn't want people to get the wrong idea about me.
you're not so bad for someone who hasn't worked a day in his life before.

[duelo]

You're probably not wrong. We're assuming the same thing, in any case.

Ha, well I promise not to let anyone else overhear it. How's that?

Thanks, Mick.

[ Coming from a guy who mostly just grunts his approvals and disapprovals in Derek's general direction more often than not, that actually means a lot more to Derek than Mick probably knows. ]