“One screwdriver, coming right up!” Christina smiled outwardly. Will you go home already for frick's sake? You're like, sooo plastered right now, she thought to herself inwardly as she mixed the orange juice into the vodka. She felt a hand on her shoulder; it was Teresa, her coworker.

“I'll handle him if he gets out of line.” the older girl whispered to her.

“Thanks!” Christina whispered back, and her friend subtly winked back. “And here you go.” she said in a more audible tone, setting the drink down before the clearly intoxicated man at the bar.

“Thish, whash ish't? Gwaw, a'zza screwdrier, en't it? Di' I arshk for a screwed-drier?”

“You better believe it, pal.” the reply came from the unamused yet smiling college girl behind the counter.

“Hrhrngrr, yarr, wa' 'ere i'goes, then!” he replied, taking up the glass and attempting to drink it -- but instead managing to get it everywhere on his face except into his mouth. “Woo! Hoo-boy, thash' good! I'mma get an'uder!” he said.

“No, you're going home.” Teresa said as she came around from behind the bar, signaling one of the taxis.

“H'yic! 'Ome? 'Erezat?”

“I was hoping you could tell me!” the girl with orange-dyed hair lightly smiled back.

“Whyz yer 'air s' orangified?” the man slurred back.

“O-kay... out the door, now!” she pointed adamantly.

“Uhh? Wha' 'bout mah... my drink? I nee' 'nother drink fer... fer th'road...” he returned.

“All right, buddy, come here,” the owner of the establishment then said. He was a burly man who looked like a gruff teddy bear; with one hand he grabbed a hold of the drunk's jacket collar, and led him outside to where the taxis had gathered. In a few minutes more their problem was being driven away, and Mr. Hutchinson, the bar's owner, came back in with a sigh of relief.

“Who in the world was that?” the man shook his head in bewilderment.

“Hell if I know.” Teresa shrugged. “All I do know is that he went out three times as plastered as he came in.” she added, and their boss silently mouthed an obscenity.

“I like money as much as the next guy, but some customers just aren't worth it.” he quipped, returning to the live-event in the lounge downstairs.

“Who's on down there anyway?” Christina asked.

“Some crazy wild girl-band. Seriously, don't ask more than that.” Teresa rolled her eyes.

“If you say so,” the other girl said. The door opened again, and Christina smiled as she caught sight of who it was. “Welcome to Paradise Bar! Find a seat and we'll get your orders in!” she said, and the two young women came up to sit at the end of the bar with a smile.

“Long night?” Mandy asked her girlfriend.

“Nothing too terrible.” Christina smiled back.

“You're kidding. You had to serve that drip four drinks and it's not too terrible?” Teresa called over.

“You should've been in last week, vacay-girl.” Christina quipped in reply.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“She's, your coworker?” Sabrina asked.

“Yep. That's Teresa.” her twin nodded back.

“I accept Reese from my friends, like I keep telling this one here,” the girl with orange hair said as she headed back into the kitchen. The other three softly smiled to each other.

“Just a gin tonight,” Mandy then said.

“And you?” Christina asked her sister as she got the bottle Mandy had indicated.

“I... do not know. It's... my first time trying any of it,” Sabrina shyly admitted.

“We can keep it simple, then.” Christina nodded. “Want this as well? Or something else?” she asked, and Sabrina paused.

“I... do like, the taste, of that rum beverage, from Pirate Isle,” she remarked.

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“Ahh,” Christina grinned as she poured Mandy's drink and then handed it to her. “Let me see... that one had a fruity twist to it, right?”

“Banana,” the older twin nodded. Christina snapped her fingers.

“That's right, the Banana Ice Rum-shake!” she exclaimed, and Sabrina smiled back.

“That was it, yes,” she replied. Christina then set to work readying the drink, and in a few minutes came back with the requested beverage.

“Personally I think 'Morgan is the most approximate to the in-game flavor, so I went with that.”

“I trust you.” Sabrina nodded.

“You're not allergic to anything, right?”

“I... am not, no.”

“Phew.” her sister sighed in relief. Sabrina then took a sip, and a contented smile came to her lips.

“That's it. That's it exactly,” she said with a gentle laugh, and Christina smiled.

“Good!” she replied.

“You could capitalize on that to get some more attention for this place,” Mandy smirked.

“I think someone might get upset with me for that.” Christina returned.

“I... will talk to her,” Sabrina said.

“If you think it'll work.”

“She... would probably, not mind, as long as it was asked.”

“I guess that's true, huh?”

“You've, talked with her; she's not, so bad to you, is she?” Sabrina wondered genuinely. For the girl who had gotten the longer end of the stick in their separate upbringings, she had always been perplexed by her half-twin's attitude, though both of them were now softening to each other at least. And because of that, Sabrina sincerely wanted to understand her sibling.

“Not... terrible, just... distant? It feels that way for me,” Christina replied. Her sister blinked.

“That... sounds uncomfortable,” she admitted with a wry grin.

“It... can be,” the other said, returning the look.

“Did you tell her about us, yet? Or have you talked with her lately?” Mandy suddenly asked.

“Eh, no. I haven't talked with her lately.” Christina shook her head.

“Chris? We're getting ready to shut the main floor down for the night,” Teresa said as she poked her head out.

“Gotcha,” the other girl nodded back.

“Hmm.” Mandy sighed.

“She... would be surprised, but not as surprised, as she would be if it was me.” Sabrina remarked.

“Well that's nice to know in advance.” her sister smiled back gratefully. “Say... this might be silly, but do you have anyone you're interested in?” she then asked. Sabrina let out a chuckle as she finished with another sip.

“They're taken.” she replied with a soft twinkle in her eye.

“Aww.” Christina frowned. “Sorry to hear that.”

“It's fine... it makes me happy, seeing the two of them together. It's, the same for you, isn't it, Sandra?” Sabrina smiled, using her twin's character name.

“Hm?” Christina blinked, and then smirked mischievously. “Oh-ho, you're crushing on Lana, huh?”

“I am.” Sabrina affirmed with a nod. Mandy smiled, patting the other girl's back gently.

“Lana's just irresistible to people, huh?” the platinum-haired girl remarked.

“Say... the others, the younger members of our guild, that is; they're doing a musical for their school this spring. Wanna go see it with us?” Christina then asked.

“All of them?” Sabrina wondered.

“Hmm... it's Ari, Lana, and... I think Der's involved, but mostly those two.”

“Anhe's helping with some of the choreography I think!” Mandy added.

“Oh, true,” her girlfriend nodded back.

“I'd...” Sabrina began, choking up slightly as a smile came to her face. “I'd like that. A lot.”

“We'll make a date for it then!” her sister smiled back.

“Absolutes!” Mandy nodded. Sabrina nodded back, and then Christina poured herself a drink to join them.

“I'll take care of it tonight. Let's say they're on the house.” she said as she finished pouring.

“It's on me with a second round as a bonus if you promise to call me Reese as a friend from now on.” her coworker said as she emerged from the kitchen with a grin.

“You got it, Reese!” Christina smiled, and the other girl winked back.

“Thanks, Reese!” Mandy grinned.

“Thank you,” Sabrina said, faintly blushing.

“Cheers, girls!” Reese said as she took a mostly empty bottle of scotch, upending it to finish it off as the others took a sip of their own beverages as well. “I'm out; tell the old man you're paid for when you leave!” she said, taking some bills out and putting them in the register.

“Got it!” her younger coworker nodded, and with that the older girl departed for the night.

“We're gonna be too tipsy to play tonight, aren't we?” Mandy grinned as Christina poured them a second round.

“We'll just see about that!” her girlfriend winked back, and Sabrina softly grinned in amusement.

This; this is what you were talking about back then, wasn't it, Lana? You were right. It's wonderful, connecting with people, getting to know them. Thank you, so much, she mentally whispered to unseen Lana Windstrider, who was probably prancing around Panarena right now trying to do a dozen and a half quests to get ahead in the competition. Sabrina giggled to herself, and returned her attention to the other two with her.