NOVPUBI honestly have no idea how the mask worked.
It seemed to just stick on my face like it was magnetic but I was not made of a magnetic material as far as I know.
That was pretty cool.
But that wasn't the end of what the mask could do.
On the opaque side of the mask, it was actually a digital screen that you could project anything you want on it by linking it to your personal terminal.
And it even had a face option which projected like a smiley face which can change to different emotions according to how I was feeling.
Once I got the hang of the mask, Ragbar brought me to the same bar counter I was hanging out at so that I could start my 'shift'.
Apparently this one was also one of the not so popular counters because of its distance from the dance floor and the fact that this was supposed to be Ragbar's secondary bar counter.
What that means is that this bar is not stocked with an automatic mixer and dispenser like the other counters around the club and Ragbar only works behind this counter when the one he usually works behind had some issues which need him to vacate it.
So when it's staffed by someone else, they usually wouldn't do that good of a job serving drinks unless you're not looking for a cocktail.
So really, we're not expecting a lot of people to come over here anyway.
Alright then, I got the mask, I took the time to familiarise myself with the bar I was put in charge of… Now I'm ready to start!
… Is what I like to say until I remembered one very fundamental problem…
I don't know how to mix drinks…
More specifically, I don't know the recipe to mix those cocktails that might be on the menu…
Like I said, I've been winging it this entire time and just adding whatever I thought would go well together. If you ask me to make a mojito, I wouldn't even know where to start.
So that's a problem…
Unfortunately, I had already accepted the role and Ragbar had gone back to work and there was no one around for me to tell them about the problem.
Wait… There's no one around… So I could technically just take off the mask and sneak out of here before I get stuck behind it!
Alright! Let me just--
"Hey, why is that bar empty?"
"Because Ragbar isn't there right now. You want some quality drinks, you need to either go to the one upstairs or the one that Ragbar is behind."
"Well, the others are all crowded anyways so might as well just get something from here first."
"Hmm… I guess so."
Fuck! Just as I wanted to escape two guys started walking over here and cut off my route of escape!
They took a seat at the counter and nodded at me in greeting.
"Hey there, never seen you before, you new?" One of them asked.
I nodded a little awkwardly, "Err… In a sense, I suppose. I'm working part time."
"Oh… Wait… You're new and they're already putting you here? And what's with the mask?"
His companion nudged him in the side, "Why are you already interrogating someone you just met?"
"Because to put a newbie here is like bullying you know? There's no automatic dispenser here."
Ah… I'm guessing this guy is a regular here and already knows the ins and outs of the club.
I shook my head at him, "It's alright, you don't need to worry. Err… Although I say that I have to tell you that I don't know the drinks that are on the menu."
The guy turned to his companion, "See? I told you they were bullying."
I quickly added, "But… If you tell me what type of drink you like, I could make something that you might enjoy."
The other guy turned to me with an amazed expression, "Oh! Are you actually going to mix personally? Damn… In that case, get me something with a little kick, how about that?"
"A little kick huh? Yeah, I can do that. And you?"
The regular doesn't seem that enthusiastic and shrugged, "Just get me whatever. I usually just drink beer here anyway."
Then I can mix him up a beer too.
Ok! I can work with this!
I picked up two bottles in one hand and flipped one into the air, letting it spin for a moment before catching it with my other hand.
I then picked up the cocktail mixer by pinching it between my fingers and did a twirl with it to flip it up and let it land on my left elbow, allowing me to pour the liquid from the bottle in my right hand inside it.
Using the weight of the mixer to determine that there was enough of that liquid, I bounced it slightly in the air so that it left my elbow for a moment, allowing me to quickly slide my right arm underneath it to catch it with my other elbow, repeating the process with the other bottle.
Once that was done as well, I dropped the bottle in my left hand back on the speed rail so that I can pick up the mixer by its bottom and give it a spin to free up my right arm.
I dropped the other bottle back and threw in a couple of ice cubes into the mixer before capping it to throw it into the air.
I did a spin just in time to catch it as it fell to spin the other way so that I could start shaking it.
Satisfied with the shaking, I swapped out the top for a strainer before pouring the resulting mix into a cocktail glass.
I wasn't done yet though as I started grabbing a few of the synthfruits and threw them into the juicer to let them get mashed up.
While that was going on, I started on the beer for the other guy but there's no need for any fancy tricks since they had beers on tap here which I just used to mix from the tap itself.
By the time I was done with the beer, the juicer was also done so I took the liquid over to the counter and… Why are there now even more people standing there?
It was completely empty before but now there were like… Six? Six people just standing behind the first two looking at me with rather intense gazes. 𝖓𝖔𝖛𝔭𝖚𝖇.𝔠𝖔𝔪
I did my best to ignore them as I carried the beer and the juice back to the counter where I poured the small mixture of squeezed synthfruit into the cocktail.
Once that was done, I took out two coasters and threw them like a playing card onto the bar counter, both of them sliding to a stop right in front of my two guests.
They were still staring at the coasters when I placed their drinks in front of them with a flourish.
"Please enjoy."
Yeah, the cocktail was simple but I didn't want to start out with something too complicated.
Both men picked up their drinks and slowly brought them to their lips to take a sip.
There was a pause and everyone behind them seemed to be holding their breath for some reason.
I was wiping the condensation that dripped from the glasses off the counter when they sat their glasses down on the coasters.
"It's…"
"It's the best thing that I've ever drank in my entire life… Give me another one!!" The one who ordered the cocktail cried out.
I pointed at his glass, "You still haven't finished it yet…"
He grabbed it and gulped it down in one swig before placing the empty glass back on the counter.
Dude… Alcohol isn't supposed to be drunk like that… Even if it's nice you're supposed to savour it, why the heck are you tossing them back like that?
What's more, you asked for something with a little 'kick' so I even made it a little spicy too… Your throat must be burning right now…
"Another!! I want another!"
Geez… Ok, ok, I get it, just wait a moment ok?
As I picked up the bottles again, the other guy slammed his fist on the counter, surprising everyone.
"How?! How are you able to make such a beer?! I've drank all the beers before and there's nothing that tastes like that! I saw you mixing them!!"
I raised an eyebrow at him, "Err… Yes? That's what I did, I mixed some of the beers together to make that. Since I figured you're a regular here you might want something that tastes a little different."
"This doesn't just taste different! It tastes like… Like all the others I've had are just water!"
I shrugged, wondering why he had to shout at me just for that as I flipped one of the bottles into the air to catch it behind me.
"Hey… Can I try that too?" One of the onlookers asked, tapping the regular on the shoulder.
I ignored the interaction to focus on mixing the drink for the first guy again, doing a slightly different routine this time.
As I was bringing the crush synthfruits from the juicer though… The crowd behind them suddenly surged forward.
"I want one too!"
"Hey! You're serving drinks right? Give me one as well!"
"I'll have whatever he was having!"
"Get me something as well!"
Woah, woah! Calm down everyone! Queue up and place your orders ok?!
